


starlight, starbright (we could light up the sky)

by LucyInTheSky (WishingTree)



Category: Power Rangers (2017)
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/F, Stardust AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-17
Updated: 2017-10-28
Packaged: 2018-12-29 16:29:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 30,364
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12088887
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WishingTree/pseuds/LucyInTheSky
Summary: No person can live forever, except for one who possesses the heart of a star.Trini’s been knocked out of the sky, tackled by a strange girl named Kimberly, and consequently kidnapped. It hasn't really been her best day – and that’s only the beginning.Stardust AU





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> y'all it's a stardust au! somebody be proud of me. anyways, did anybody want this? no, probably not. but. it’s stardust. so i did it. really hope someone reads it!
> 
> inspired by [this post](http://dailypowerangers.tumblr.com/post/162949873638/nikita-gill), and i made trini the star because she'd be the grumpiest little thing and i thought it was funny
> 
> it's based on the 2007 movie, and if you haven't seen it then please consider watching it it's wonderful and i love it lots

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it honestly feels like some kind of betrayal to cut out the storyline with the princes and the royalty thing but it just wasn’t working, so…… i took the cowards way out. just know that [SPOILERS] kimberly hart is the PRINCESS OF THE WHOLE KINGDOM and they rule together as queens and then live happily ever after. (i literally just kept the kim looking for her mother thing in so i could put the 'do i look like your mother?' joke in)
> 
> so without further ado, here's the intro chapter!

_A philosopher once asked, “Are we human because we gaze at the stars, or do we gaze at the stars because we are human?”_

_Pointless, really._

_Do the stars gaze back?_

_…Now that’s a question._

_Our story begins here, a long time ago in the far-off kingdom of Angel Grove…_

 

In the highest tower of the grand castle, in a room lit by flickering candlelight, an old man lies prone in bed, breathing labored as he summons his most trusted advisor.

“Alpha,” the old king Zordon calls gravely, pushing into a sitting position and propping himself up against the headboard, “It is time.”

“Sire, are you certain?” Alpha approaches cautiously, standing at the edge of the king’s oversized bed and twisting their hands. Alpha knows as well as the king does that they’ve run out of time, but they have to ask anyways.

Zordon nods solemnly. “We need to find them. Those who hold the power coins shall be the protectors of this world.” He coughs and turns to muffle the sound, taking a second to catch his breath before he leans over and opens the ornate box on his bedside table.

Inside lies five coins, different colors edged in gold, and his advisor bows his head when they see them. “I’ll be waiting for them,” Alpha says somberly, “I hope they’re ready, whoever they are.”

Zordon carefully scoops the coins up, cradling them in his hands before lifting them with reverence. Slowly, they rise and start to hover in front of his face, and Zordon still feels their pull as they start to glow, gentle light shining brighter as they gradually begin to rotate until they form a perfect circle in the air in front of him. A charge snaps through the room, and Zordon leans forward unconsciously, turning his face up.

“Seek only those who are worthy,” he rasps, eyes locked on the spinning coins. “Find only those who are strong.” The coins whirr in response, glowing brighter, and Zordon drops his hands, leaning back again.

He heaves a relieved sigh, and there’s a thunderous cracking sound as he closes his eyes for the last time. The coins shoot out the open window as one, and five different streaks of color scatter across the kingdom.

Red flashes towards the water, cutting a path towards the sprawling docks, and Black hurtles for a small village. Blue shines clear as it flies to the kingdom’s biggest trading outpost, stable and true, while Pink veers in the opposite direction, careening towards the wall bordering the kingdom that separates Angel Grove from the human world.

Yellow is the last, and unlike the others, it curves and heads for the sky, hurtling upwards at such a speed that anybody watching would only see a blur. It vanishes into space, winking out of existence, and then there’s a massive implosion of light. Not a moment later, a shooting star comes hurtling towards the Earth, headed straight for Angel Grove.

Few look up at the sky at the exact moment to see the dazzling light, and even fewer have the stomach to retrieve it, but all know the lure of what it promises.

For no person can live forever, except for one who possesses the heart of a star.

That’s the old line from the tales, anyways. As long as one is in possession of a star’s heart, immortality is in their hands until the moment it has been used up. When the heart goes, so does the everlasting life, prompting the search for a new one and creating a bloody and unforgiving circle.

The light continues its path across the sky and finally disappears in the tree line. There’s a fiery crash, destruction raining down as the entire kingdom shakes from the impact, and in the middle of it all, lies a fallen star.

 

Trini groans in pain, shifting onto her back and squeezing her eyes shut as she slowly regains consciousness. The surface she’s lying on is too hard to be comfortable, and there’s a soft breeze blowing some hair into her face. Neither of those are sensations are things she should be feeling from her place in the sky, and all Trini can hear around her is a strange stillness, silence hanging heavy in the air.

Painfully, she props herself up on her elbows and grits her teeth at the pain, not yet accustomed to the weird human eyes and blinking to clear her vision. She sluggishly brings a hand up to her head and then stills, eyes snapping open. Hand?

A quick glance down confirms she’s in a human body, something that only happens when a star… when a star is on Earth.

She jackknifes up into a sitting position, her body protesting against the movement. Her clothes are unfamiliar, there’s long hair falling into her face, and her leg _really_ hurts. She screws up her face distastefully when she realizes she’s wearing knee-high boots and a long dress, something silver and shimmery that she wouldn’t have chosen for herself in a million years, but her throbbing foot quickly distracts her.

She had been minding her own business in the sky, just like every night; how had she ended up here?

There’s a strange yellow coin lying on the ground next to her hand, the one she had glimpsed hurtling towards her a split second before everything had gone white, and she knows it’s the reason she’s here lying alone on the ground. It’s lifeless now, lacking both the glow it had possessed and decidedly not moving, and Trini glares.

“Yeah, screw you too,” she tells it crossly, stretching out her arm to reach for it. The coin fits perfectly in the palm of her hand, and she holds it up in front of her face to examine it more carefully. She’s never seen anything like it, but it doesn’t seem to be anything except a yellow coin.

Taking a deep breath, she marvels at the feeling of her lungs expanding and sits up properly to get a better look at her surroundings. She’s lying in the middle of a crater, evidently caused by her unceremonious landing, and she can see incinerated trees poking up along the edge of the crater. Hopefully, nobody had noticed her arrival. The last thing she needs is an entire kingdom hunting after her for her heart.

The night is quiet, and Trini shifts uncomfortably, feeling very small under the vast open sky. But her unease is quickly overtaken by wonder as she sees the sky as humans do. The stars are twinkling leisurely, infinite above her, and her mind calms as she watches them.

She clenches her hand around the coin, and after a moment’s deliberation shoves it into her boot. No use leaving it behind, whatever it is. Taking another deep breath, she gingerly pushes herself to her feet and curses when her knee buckles. Her voice echoes in the otherwise empty crater, and she feels a sudden pang of loneliness, casting a quick glance upwards again to see her home and her sisters so far away.

Just as she manages to stand properly, something flashes in the corner of her eye. She turns to see a giant ball of light approaching fast in the sky, and there’s a flicker of hope that this is one of her sisters coming for her, bringing with her a way to get back into the sky. Unfortunately that hope is quickly dashed, because the light is the wrong color, too harsh to be starlight, and its trajectory isn’t smooth enough to be any star Trini has ever known.

Trini squints at it, trying to figure out what it is, and then realizes a split second too late that it’s headed straight for her. Her eyes widen, and then something solid crashes into her, knocking her backwards and sending her flying. Her back hits the floor again, hard enough to knock the breath out of her lungs, and she groans, lying there with her eyes squeezed shut and wondering what she did to deserve this. The weight on top of her moves, and Trini realizes it’s a person.

Her breath catches for an entirely different reason when she manages to open her eyes, because there’s a girl lying on top of her. A beautiful girl, with wide eyes and short hair tousled around her face, and Trini can’t do anything but stare and dimly wonder if the accelerated rate her heart is beating at now is normal.

And then, of course, the girl opens her mouth and thoroughly ruins whatever enchanting image Trini had been seeing.

“Mother?”

Trini blinks and stares up at her incredulously, and the girl pushes herself up so some of her weight is resting on her arms.

“O-oh, Mom, I’m so – I’m so sorry, are you alright?”

Not sure if the girl is being serious, Trini waits a beat, still gaping at her. “I – I’m obviously not okay, and I’m not your _mother_ , so get the hell off of me!”

The girl gives her a startled look and leans back, apparently unconcerned that she’s still effectively pinning Trini to the ground. Trini flushes and then narrows her eyes as the girl works her jaw in confusion. “You’re – you’re not my mother?”

Trini raises an incredulous eyebrow and looks down at herself before leveling her frown at the girl. Though Trini has no doubt that, as a star, she’s technically older than this human girl, comparatively they’re definitely around the same age. “Do I _look_ like I’m your mother?”

The girl blinks and sits up, running her eyes over Trini and causing her to flush with what she tells herself has to be annoyance. She’s still straddling her, knees on either side of Trini’s waist, and Trini forces herself to stay still as she stubbornly keeps her eyes on the girl’s face.

Apparently the girl’s brain finally catches up to her from wherever she had come flying in from, because she huffs a soft laugh and shakes her head, lips curling up in a wry smile.

“No,” she answers unnecessarily, tucking a loose lock of hair behind her ear and looking at Trini sheepishly, “Sorry. Sorry! Of course not.” She stands, brushing off her clothes and then leaning down towards Trini, extending a hand. “Are – are you alright? Do you want some help?” Her face is earnest as she talks, and something about the way she's holding herself seems too regal to Trini. Trini wouldn't call it entitled, but she would guess that there are very few things in life this girl has been refused. Instinctively, she knows this girl is going to cause her trouble, even overlooking her unusual entrance.

“You can help by leaving me alone,” Trini growls, sitting up and scooting away from her, and the girl shrugs. She wanders a couple steps away, turning her face towards the high edges of the crater, and Trini watches as something flashes across her face.

“Oh my god,” she breathes, spinning around and looking at something in her hand, “Light the candle and think of me, and – and I _was_ – but then… but then that shit popped into my head, and then the star – ”

She whirls around and locks her gaze on the center of the crater, the spot where Trini had landed initially. Darting over, she appraises it excitedly, bouncing around and crouching to see it from a different angle before she hurries over to Trini.

“Excuse me, hey, sorry to bug you again,” she gives her an apologetic smile, and Trini tells herself not to get distracted. “This might sound strange, but – have you seen a fallen star anywhere?”

A slightly hysterical laugh escapes Trini’s lips. “Hah, you’re funny,” she deadpans, raising an unimpressed eyebrow, but apparently her meaning goes over the girl’s head.

“No really, we’re in a crater. This has to be where it fell, right?”

“Yeah, this is where it fell,” Trini says sarcastically, letting false enthusiasm leak into her voice, “Or, you know, if you want to be _really_ specific…”

The girl is watching with rapt attention, worrying at her bottom lip, and Trini wonders what about that is bothering her.

“Up there is where this weird glowing coin came out of nowhere and knocked it out of the sky when it was minding it’s own business,” she jabs her finger at the sky, and then points back to the middle of the crater, “And over there is where it landed. And right _here_ ,” she gestures very pointedly at herself, “This is where it got hit by a _magical flying moron_!” Her voice is raised by the end of the sentence, frustration coloring her tone, and Trini crosses her arms.

There’s a long moment of silence as the girl stares at her blankly, clearly not following, and Trini waits expectantly until a look of understanding blooms on her face.

“You – _you’re_ the star. You’re the star?” Her lips are parted in amazement as she stares at her, and Trini holds up her hands in a ‘what do you think?’ motion.

“What – really?”

Trini nods once and presses her lips together, giving her a tight smile.

The girl’s jaw works as she continues to stare. “I had no idea that you’d be a – ” She flushes and cuts herself off, “I mean, I was expecting a hunk of space rock or something.”

Trini shrugs moodily, not willing to entertain her any longer, but the girl doesn’t leave.

“I just – I, it’s nice to meet you, and – I’m really sorry,” the girl tells her with a regretful look on her face, and Trini eyes her warily, automatically on guard.

“Sorry for what?” she asks suspiciously.

The girl darts forward again, moving faster than Trini expected, and suddenly there’s a thin silver chain wrapped around her wrist, the other end held in the girl’s hand. “Sorry, Star Girl, but you have to come with me now. I gotta bring you back to Wall.”

Trini gapes at her, hand still held up in front of her. “And why is that?” she asks dubiously, completely done with this whole situation and wishing she was home.

The girl stands, bringing the chain with her. “I was planning to find my mom, but this is just as good. Bringing a fallen star is just what I need to get back in the village’s good graces.”

“What,” Trini says flatly.

“I’m on a mission,” the other girl declares, “I – I did some things, some pretty bad things, and, well, getting Amanda her very own star is exactly the kind of dramatic gesture to get her to accept my apology. So, redemption or – something, is why I’m doing this, I guess.”

Trini has no idea what she’s talking about, nor does she particularly care.

“I’m not going anywhere with you, princess,” she grumbles, yanking her chained arm back, and she’s pleased to see the other girl pulled off balance.

The girl sighs, tilting her head. “Look, I don’t want to force you, but you really do have to come with me. I can’t go back empty-handed.” She wraps her end of the chain around her own wrist a couple times as she speaks.

Trini stays silent, and the other girl sighs again, sitting down and crossing her legs. “So what’s your plan? Just sit in this crater? Your foot is hurt,” she adds unnecessarily, and Trini rolls her eyes.

“Is it? I hadn’t noticed,” she glowers and turns her back on her, awkwardly maneuvering her leg around.

“Oh, so now you’re just not going to talk to me?”

Trini stays stubbornly silent and crosses her arms, and behind her the girl sighs.

“Alright then. Well, considering it’s the middle of the night, I’m going to try and get some sleep. We’ll talk about this in the morning?”

Trini doesn’t know if she actually expects an answer, but after another beat of silence the girl exhales. She hears her shifting around on the ground, taking off her worn leather jacket and folding it into a pillow, and Trini supposes they’re lucky it’s a warm night, because she can imagine how unpleasant it would be otherwise.

The girl seems to fall asleep easily, but Trini can feel the night prickling at her consciousness, the urge to light up like she’s supposed to be doing pressing on her. Tilting her head up to the sky, she can see more stars beginning to appear, and she zeroes in on the area that looks glaringly dark to her eyes, the spot where she would be shining had she still been where she was supposed to be.

Sighing, she turns her attention to the chain wrapped around her wrist. It has to be magic, because the entire loop is seamless, not tied or obviously connected at any point, and she can’t break it, no matter how hard she tries. The chain jingles musically as she fiddles with it, and the girl stirs behind her.

“Don’t you sleep?” she complains.

Trini leans back on her hands and turns towards her, rolling her eyes and wondering if she should start counting how many times she’s done that because of this girl.

“Not at night, genius. In case you haven’t noticed, stars kind of have better things to do during the night. You know, coming out, _shining_ , that sort of thing.”

The other girl hums, “Well you can’t sleep during the day, that’s when we’ll be moving. Unless stars have the magical ability to sleep while they’re walking.” She giggles to herself, seemingly finding this funny, and Trini raises an unimpressed eyebrow.

“Okay, I didn’t think you looked stupid, but now I’m really starting to reconsider that assessment. I’m not going anywhere with you,” she stresses the sentence. She doesn’t know where her village called Wall is, but she does know she isn’t inclined to do this girl any favors. She starts to feel chilled in her stupid dress, and a shiver runs down her back as a breeze blows by.

The girl stares at her, and then shakes her head and stands, gathering her jacket. “Fine. If that’s the way you want to play it, then fine. I was going to put you back in the sky after we got to Wall, but clearly you’d rather just brood in a crater on your own.”

Trini scoffs, turning her attention back to the chain around her wrist. “Oh yeah, and just how where you planning on getting me to the sky?”

The girl digs around her jacket pockets for a moment before holding something out in her hand. “I find the fastest way to travel is by candlelight.”

Trini’s head shoots up at the words, zeroing in on the black candle in her hand. “You’ve got a Babylon candle,” she says in amazement, unable to hide the excitement in her voice. They’re extremely rare, old magic, and one of the only things that can actually return her home. At the sight of it Trini finally figures out how this girl had managed to appear out of nowhere to tackle her to the ground. With a Babylon candle, even just the stub of one like she was holding, all you had to do was light it and think of where you wanted to go, and the candle would get you there instantaneously.

“Right, yeah,” the girl scratches her head with her free hand, clearly having no idea how powerful it is. “Yeah, I’ve got… that.” She examines it for a second and then gestures at Trini, expression earnest. “And I was going to give the rest of it to you, once we’d gone to Wall. Unless _you’ve_ got a better way to get home,” she gives her a smug smile, and Trini scowls at her.

“Well, that barely has a use left,” Trini mumbles childishly, irritated with herself for giving away her desperation. Now the other girl knows she holds all the cards.

“Then you’re lucky I’m not using it now to get us back to my village,” the girl sounds affronted, and Trini wonders why she wants to kidnap a fallen star for her village in the first place. Most would kill her right then and there and steal her heart.

She regards her warily, but this girl had been surprised to find her in human form. Was it possible she didn’t know about the properties of a star’s heart? Trini quickly dismisses the thought, shaking her head. Everybody knew about stars. Given how many people would kill for a chance to obtain a star’s heart and gain immortality, she knows she’s in constant danger here. Trusting the wrong person would lead to her death, but this girl already knows she’s a star, so there isn’t much left for Trini to hide from her.

“So?” the girl wiggles the candle at her, and Trini knows she has no choice.

“Fine,” she bites out, ignoring the pleased sound the other girl makes. She comes closer to help her up and Trini slaps her hands away, determined to stand on her own.

“Are you okay?” the girl says in concern, watching her carefully as she manages to stumble to her feet.

“Peachy,” Trini growls, tugging irritably at her dress, “I’ve been blasted out of my home and have to go across the kingdom with a crazy girl because she has the only way to get me back. Best day ever.”

The girl finally draws back, an eyebrow raised in amusement, and Trini wishes she would stop finding this whole situation funny. She starts to fidget under Trini’s glare, nervous tick appearing and betraying how unsure she is, and she gives her a weak smile. It still doesn’t dissuade her from hovering behind her in case she falls, and Trini resolves to ignore her.

They start to make their way slowly to the edge of the crater, and Trini hates how slow she has to move to cross the sloping ground. The silence is tense, and evidently Trini can handle it much better than her new traveling companion.

“I’ll give you a piggyback, if you want,” the girl offers, filling the silence, and Trini starts in surprise. “I’m stronger than I look, I promise.”

Trini gives her a doubtful look and shakes her head, knowing the other girl is watching her as she continues to limp along.

It’s a few more minutes before she speaks again. “My name is Kimberly, by the way,” she says suddenly, stopping and holding her hand out to aid Trini in climbing over the lip of the crater. “Kimberly Hart.”

Trini eyes her outstretched hand and then rolls her eyes in defeat, finally accepting her help. “Trini,” she says shortly in answer to Kimberly’s expectant look, and she pointedly ignores the brilliant smile that spreads across her face. As soon as their hands make contact, her heart starts thumping unevenly. Kimberly’s hand is warm, and Trini’s fingers feel like they’re tingling. 

Letting go of her hand as soon as they make it over and shaking it off, she bunches up her skirt and continues to pick her way through the uneven rocks, noting that it’s still strangely silent up here at the outer edge of the crater. It tells her there are no animals nearby, no people, but there’s a sense of expectancy in the stillness, almost like the world is waiting for something. Trini casts her eyes up again, resisting the urge to wave sarcastically. She knows without a doubt that most of the stars are watching her right now, and some of them are definitely laughing.

“I’m sorry,” Kimberly blurts out too loudly once they both clear the crater, wincing and then repeating herself in a quieter voice, “I’m sorry.” She gives Trini a weak smile. “You ah, you probably wanna kill me, right?”

Trini grits her teeth and doesn’t look up as she strides ahead as best as she can, pulling off what she thinks is a magnificent eye roll.

“That’s – that’s a yes, so…” The chain jingles again as Kimberly jogs to catch up with her. “Okay, good talk.”

They pick their way through the charred remains of the forest, and Trini does feel guilty about the destruction she’d inadvertently caused. As she's looking around, the hem of her dress catches on something and she stumbles, giving her yet another reason to hate it as she almost trips into Kimberly. Her hair flops in front of her face again, and she shakes her head irritably to get it out of the way.

They walk like this for hours, their surroundings changing from burned tree stumps to a proper forest unharmed by Trini’s landing. Kimberly keeps up with her tentative attempts at conversation, and despite everything Trini finds herself learning about Kimberly’s life in Wall. Surprisingly, Trini finds the other girl to be a fairly engaging storyteller, and once Kimberly stops her attempts to get Trini to talk, Trini winds up paying more attention to her than she means to. It's almost too easy, getting absorbed in the other girl, and Trini swallows nervously.

The chilly morning air isn’t something Trini is used to, and she rubs her arms, trying to ignore the cold. The tips of her ears are freezing, as are her fingers, and Kimberly’s legs are much longer than hers, loathe as she is to admit it. While purposefully dragging her feet is absolutely something Trini would do just to be difficult, right now it’s out of the weariness weighing down on her, slowing her steps.

“So what’s it like? Being a star,” Kimberly asks, still not deterred by Trini repeatedly ignoring her questions. As the sun starts to rise, Kimberly seems to gain more and more energy, and it’s doing nothing except annoying Trini and making her even more exhausted.

“I don’t know, what’s it like being a human?” Trini shoots back, and Kimberly laughs, the sound clear and cheerful in the still air of the forest.

“Alright, I get it.” She gives her a sidelong glance, still grinning, but then stops and sheds her jacket elegantly. “Here,” she says softly, holding it out to Trini, “You’ve been shivering for ages, you definitely need it more than me.”

Trini stares at her in confusion. She’s only wearing a thin shirt underneath it, one that can’t possibly be warm, but Kimberly holds her jacket up insistently. Not knowing what else to do, Trini lets her drape it around her shoulders, eyeing her curiously. It’s clearly worn out and has more than a few holes in it, but it’s still warm from Kimberly’s body heat and smells nice, so Trini stops her objections. From what she had observed of humans over the years, this was either extremely unusual behaviour with an ulterior motive, or she was just being… good.

“…Thanks,” she says hesitantly.

Kimberly only nods and sets off again once Trini has her arms in the sleeves, face turned towards the sunlight and sighing happily. “I’ve always wanted to go on an adventure,” she mentions offhandedly, swinging her arms, “Find a purpose, you know? Something grand. Save the world or something like that.”

The last part is said in a joking tone of voice, but Trini can hear the wistfulness in it. She huddles in the jacket and doesn’t say anything, not wanting Kimberly to know how much she agrees with her. Most of her days in the sky had been spent yearning for something to happen, anything to make her feel like she wasn’t just wasting her time, anything to make her feel like she was there for a reason.

“You know, I’ve never left Wall before this,” Kimberly continues conversationally, “It’s a tiny little village and I hate it, but it’s home. Apparently in bigger cities and towns you can’t really see the stars in the sky, but in Wall I could see them every night just fine,” she runs a hand through her hair. “I used to imagine they were watching back, actually,” she says bashfully, laughing at herself, “Silly, right?”

Trini bites her lip, hiding her grin because that’s exactly how stars spend their time.

“Anyways, I was at home when this thing comes flying through the window out of nowhere and hits me right in the head,” Kimberly shrugs and pushes a branch out of the way for Trini, “Super weird, but when I turned around I saw the shooting star. You, I guess. I would have missed it otherwise. Funny how it happened at the same time.”

Trini lets her ramble as she limps along behind her, pain shooting through her with every step, and her knuckles are white where she’s clutching the lapels of Kimberly’s jacket. She tries her best not to let her silence become surly, but she’s not sure how well she succeeds.

“ –Although, if you had asked me how I pictured a star as a human, I probably would have said somebody taller,” Kimberly muses conversationally, still babbling to herself as she walks along, turning to glance back at Trini.

“What – are you okay? We have to keep moving,” she finally stops when she sees Trini hobbling over to a tree and lowering herself onto the grass.

“Listen, Kimberly,” Trini sighs forcefully, resting her back against the tree trunk. The sun filters through the leaves, casting tinted light across everything. “I have been awake for almost a full day. I’m tired. I _crashed from the sky_. My ankle hurts. Will you please just let me get some sleep?”

She can see Kimberly looking her over, deliberation clear on her face, but she lets her body sag backwards, not caring.

“Okay,” Kimberly says softly after a moment, crouching down next to her. “Okay, I’ll go ahead to the next town and bring us back some food.” She stops and thinks for a moment before taking her end of the chain and walking it around the tree trunk. Trini tries to turn her head and follow her, but only understands what she’s doing when she completes her loop and attaches the chain together, anchoring Trini to the tree.

“I’ll be back as soon as I can, alright? Before it gets dark.” Kimberly looks like she wants to pat Trini’s arm, but instead only shuffles her feet and crosses her arms. “You sure you want to stay here?”

Trini waves a hand at her, already shifting around to find a comfortable position. “Don’t worry, these woods are always deserted. Just, go get the food or whatever.”

Kimberly gives her one last look before setting off, and then Trini’s finally alone. It’s too bright and foreign in this forest alone and the sudden absence of Kimberly’s chatter is more jarring than she expected it to be, but exhaustion quickly takes over, and Trini falls asleep in the sun.

 

At the same time, far above her, the stars have begun to whisper worriedly. Trini can't hear any of it, remaining blissfully unaware of the danger approaching, and a sense of unease travels across the sky.

For the stars, who can watch over the entire kingdom, know what’s coming for her.

And it’s nothing good.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and let the adventure begin


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> warning for a fight with rita. and just so everyone knows i hate writing action sequences.

The first thing Trini notices when she wakes up is that the sky is dark again, no more sunlight streaming through the trees, and she sighs in relief. She isn’t used to it, and the constant light had been aggravating her headache. She automatically relaxes, gingerly stretching out her now stiff leg, and looks up to try and catch a glimpse of the stars.

The second thing she notices is the unicorn.

It’s approaching out of the woods, tall and regal and just _radiating_ magic, and Trini smiles unthinkingly, more at ease than she’s been since being knocked out of the sky.

“Hello,” she says softly, reaching out a hand in greeting. It whinnies softly and pushes its head into her palm, and Trini strokes the soft hair. She knows very well that unicorns are possibly the last pure bit of good magic left in the world, and as such had been hunted almost to extinction. It’s one of the parts about being a star Trini absolutely hated. All she could ever do was watch as absolute horrors took place, unable to do anything except light the sky.

It bows its head and touches the tip of its horn to the chain, and Trini watches in fascination as the chain breaks, starting to recede until the entire length of it has vanished, freeing her wrist.

She stretches her wrist and rubs the part where the chain had been wrapped around, surprised but pleased to see that it hasn’t left a mark. This reminds her of Kimberly, and she glances around, noting that the other girl hasn’t returned yet. Shaking her head, she tells herself firmly that she doesn’t care.

“I guess we both have to hide from the humans, huh,” Trini murmurs as she scratches behind the unicorn’s ear, smiling as it stretches out and wiggles a little. Pleased, she goes to move around the unicorn but forgets about her ankle, crying out as she puts too much weight on it. The unicorn ducks down in concern, snuffling quietly, and Trini gives it a contrite smile, biting her lip and squinting until the pain goes back to a manageable level.

Nudging her once, the unicorn kneels down in front of her and waits patiently. She stares at it for a moment as it eyes her steadily, swiveling her head to see if something was happening before turning back.

“You… want me to get on?”

The unicorn whinnies and tosses its head, and she takes that as a yes. It holds still as she clambers onto its back, awkwardly adjusting her dress as she goes, and eventually she manages to get herself up onto its back. When she pats the unicorn’s neck it stands smoothly, already turning back the way it had come, and she tangles her fingers in the soft white hair of the unicorn’s mane as it walks.

The night is quiet, and Trini turns to look back at the tree, feeling strangely regretful. Kimberly will be fine on her own, and she has the Babylon candle to get her home if she runs into any trouble. The unicorn steps delicately over a fallen tree branch, and Trini sighs.

“You don’t think this is wrong, do you?”

The unicorn whinnies quietly and continues walking.

“I mean, I’m being ridiculous. She kidnapped me! Or – or blackmailed me or something. Coercion, I don’t know.”

The unicorn tosses its head, and Trini pats it absentmindedly. “I know. And she _is_ … pretty nice.” Trying to think of a way to describe Kimberly makes her pause. “Annoying, but… okay, I guess.” She tilts her head back, eyes always drawn to the stars. “Although who says she would have actually kept her promise about the candle? She can’t be the only person in Angel Grove who can help me,” Trini rationalizes. “Besides, all she did was talk. I was getting tired just _listening_ to her – and you’d think she’d run out of things to say, but apparently not.”

She continues to chat idly with the unicorn about Kimberly, not realizing this is definitely more than she’d spoken _to_ Kimberly, the actual person who could respond with words. The unicorn continues its steady pace through the forest, and the slow motion is so soothing she accidentally takes another nap, waking up to the splattering of raindrops on her face. Wincing, she hunches lower and presses her face against the unicorn’s mane, hoping that it has a destination in mind, because now she’s really cold, the rain cutting right through the thin material of her dress.

As if summoned by the power of her wishful thinking, they emerge from the trees to see an inn in the distance, standing as the only building by the side of the road and lit up invitingly. Lightning flashes across the sky, and she starts when thunder rumbles loudly, spurring the unicorn on and relieved when they quickly reach the inn.

She clumsily dismounts, smiling her thanks when the unicorn sticks its head under her arm to give her something to hold. “Thanks, buddy,” she says, patting its neck one more time before making her way to the door. Knocking tentatively, she rises up on the toes of her good foot to peek through the window.

Not a second later, the door is yanked open to reveal a woman in green, hair pulled back in a ponytail and a tall walking stick in her hand that more resembles a gold staff. Trini doesn’t recognize her, but she can’t stop a flash of fear from tearing through her as the woman smiles widely.

“Goodness me! Come in out of the rain, darling, you’ll catch your death out there.”

Her voice is hoarse and scratchy, like it hasn’t been used in a while, and Trini fights the instinct to back away, nervous as she pushes her hair out of her face.

“Th-thanks,” she gets out hesitantly, teeth chattering from the cold. She takes half a step forward before turning around uncertainly to look back at the unicorn. The unicorn stares at her for a long moment before tossing its head and stepping delicately towards the barn set next to the inn, and Trini takes it as an encouraging sign.

She turns back and lets the woman usher her inside, feeling a surge of relief as she feels the warmth start seeping into her away from the rain. Hobbling forward, she glances back at the innkeeper closing the front door and securing the lock.

Trini feels weird about the staff, almost like it’s emanating magic as the unicorn had been, but completely different. While the unicorn feels comforting and safe, this staff feels _wrong_ , and it’s making Trini’s teeth grind together and hair stand on end.

The woman leads her through the inn, past some comfy looking armchairs and a roaring fire, and it’s the type of place Trini would love to hang out, but something about the woman is putting her too on edge to relax. The inn is warm and welcoming, but just like the woman, there’s something not quite right about it as Trini looks around and takes everything in. However, she can’t put her finger on what it is; everything is perfectly arranged, the entire place picturesque in its composition, and Trini slides her eyes back over to the innkeeper.

The woman sees Trini eyeing her staff and smiles again, showing too many teeth to be comforting. “It’s something of a walking stick I’ve made myself. Got a… bum leg.” She runs her eyes over Trini, and Trini suppresses a shiver. “And I see that you might not be faring much better! Go on upstairs, dear, a bath will certainly help that ankle of yours. Now… do you know who I am?”

There’s a quick flash of green, and then Trini jerks her head to the side without knowing why, shaking her head and blinking rapidly. Suddenly, she feels foolish for being so afraid of this woman. She’s helping her when it’s very clear she has nothing to pay with, and Trini chastises herself for being so suspicious. The woman is a little strange, but she’s been nothing but kind to her since she arrived, while Trini’s been waiting as if she’s about to morph into some kind of demon.

The innkeeper is standing in front of her now, hands clasped demurely with her staff resting in the crook of her arm, and she looks about as threatening as any other homely innkeeper.

“My name is Rita.”

Trini dips her head, wondering absently if she recognizes the name, but nothing comes to mind and the woman makes a little shooing motion towards the staircase. She nods compliantly and turns to limp up the stairs, leaning heavily on the banister.

It seems like the place is deserted, and Trini sticks her head into a couple of empty guestrooms before finding one with the fire lit. A bath is already drawn on the other side of the room, and she slips inside, eager to change out of her wet dress.

Locking the door behind her, Trini quickly peels off her clothes and kicks off her boots, only taking a moment to collect the yellow coin and place it on the dresser. She eases herself into the bath and sighs immediately. The bath is heavenly, and she runs her hand over the top of the water, making little waves and laughing to herself. No wonder humans enjoy swimming so much.

Miraculously, by the time she’s done washing herself, her ankle feels good as new, and there’s a warm fluffy bathrobe waiting for her on the bed when she gets out. She slips it on and lets herself fall onto the bed, sighing in satisfaction.

She relaxes farther into the bed and relishes the feeling of comfort. Compared to every other state she’s been in since landing, this might as well be her living as a queen.

A warm feeling washes over her, starting in her chest and growing outwards, and she blinks drowsily when she realizes she’s started to shine, soft light coming off of her skin. She smiles despite herself, letting herself revel in this sense of peace.

The rain is still beating heavily against the windows, but Trini only snuggles farther into the bed, unbothered by the sound. A lock of hair falls into her face, tickling her nose, and she brushes it away before tucking her arms under her head.

Unbidden, her mind drifts to Kimberly, and she wonders what her reaction had been when she’d returned to the tree to find Trini gone. Surely she hadn’t been too upset? Trini shakes herself, wondering why she cares about the other girl. Chances were they were never going to see each other, and she should leave it at that.

However, her light slowly starts to fade, and Trini’s brow furrows as her feelings of contentment fades with it, replaced instead by worry.

The door creaks open, and the last of her starlight disappears as she turns her head to see Rita peeking around the doorframe, a simpering smile on her face. “Are you feeling better?”

Trini sits up and tries to give her a smile, attempting to remember if she’d locked the door or not. “Yes, thank you. The bath really helped a lot.”

“Wonderful. Now, what would you like for dinner?” Trini opens her mouth to object even as her stomach grumbles, but Rita waves a hand dismissively. “No, no, I insist. You pick! Anything you want, I can get it.”

The idea of being both warm and well-fed is too tempting for Trini to resist, and as Rita keeps waiting expectantly, Trini starts to consider it, running through different types of foods she's always been excited to try.

There’s a sudden bang from downstairs and then a man’s voice calling loudly, and Trini starts in surprise. Something dark slips over Rita’s face for a moment before it disappears, leaving her with the same unnervingly blank smile, and it causes a shiver to run down Trini's spine.

“Let me just go tend to this guest first, and then I’ll be right back.”

Rita has an annoyed look on her face as she bustles out the door, closing it gently behind her, and Trini waits until she hears the click before getting to her feet.

The feeling of wrongness has returned, and Trini tries to puzzle out what feels off about this situation as she moves across the room. She shakes her head dubiously and stands with her hand on the doorknob, unable to shake the feeling of unease that’s settled over her.

Making her decision, she twists the door open and creeps into the hallway. It’s just as deserted as before, but now it feels almost sinister, and Trini pads forward, bare feet brushing soundlessly over carpet. She hears the low murmur of voices as she approaches the staircase, but suddenly there’s the quick sound of a knife being drawn and a muffled thud, and Trini’s blood runs cold.

She sticks her head cautiously around the corner to peer over the landing and claps a hand over her mouth when she sees Rita standing over a body with her staff raised. From the way the man is slumped over, Trini knows he’s dead, and she stumbles backwards in horror.

Menacing green eyes turn on her, but before she can run Rita is suddenly in front of her, a hand wrapped around her throat.

“Well, that didn’t go according to plan, did it?” Rita growls and squeezes her fingers, and Trini chokes, hands coming up to grab at her wrist. “You just had to leave the room, didn’t you.”

Trini kicks out, twisting viciously and trying to fight back, and when that gets her nothing she lashes out and slams the heel of her hand into Rita’s nose. Rita’s head snaps back and there’s now blood dripping down her face, but she doesn’t otherwise react, keeping her hold on Trini.

“Oh, you want to play?” Rita mocks, tightening her grip around Trini’s neck. Trini gasps as her vision swims out of focus, fingers scrabbling at Rita’s hand, and Rita lets out a vicious laugh.

Suddenly Rita pushes her to the side, and an invisible force throws her down the stairs. Trini screams as she goes flying and then hits the wall hard, landing on her hands and knees and gasping raggedly as she tries to get her breath back.

Rita is descending the stairs slowly as Trini wheezes, and she hurries to stagger to her feet, pushing away the panic threatening to cloud her mind. Her chest feels tight, but she raises her hands defensively as she stumbles backwards.

Keeping the sadistic grin on her face, Rita waves her staff theatrically while she walks and her clothes are transformed into some kind of sharp-edged armor, still tinted a deep green. Trini sucks in a breath as the realization hits her, and she tries desperately to scramble away. Rita is a witch, most probably a part of the ancient coven who had been hunting stars for generations longer than Trini had been alive, and Trini has nothing to defend herself with.

Rita raises an eyebrow, and then she lunges forward in one smooth motion, pinning Trini against the wall again.

“Ah, finally. A star!” Rita sighs happily, not showing any visible signs of effort in restraining Trini, “And a young one at that, so full of hope. I will enjoy eating your heart.”

Trini’s muscles seize up in panic, and she feels sick when Rita slowly runs her hand down her face, clammy fingers stroking her skin from her temple to her jaw.

“And now your light is dimming,” Rita sighs, “Such an unfortunate situation.”

She lets her go, not quite taking a full step back, but Trini stays frozen where she is, knowing Rita is toying with her. There’s a crazed look glinting in her eyes as she stands in front of her, stroking her staff and appraising her with a wicked smirk on her face.

“Should I kill you now?” she tilts her head and leans forward, close enough that Trini can feel her breath hitting her face. “I’ve killed fallen stars before.” Her words are stilted, and her lips curl into a feral grin as Trini struggles to get air into her lungs.

“Trini!”

Trini whips her head around at the shout, and suddenly Kimberly is bursting through the door, wet hair plastered to her forehead and soaked to the bone.

“Trini, don’t trust them! They tried to –” Her eyes widen in horror, “Look out!”

Trini screams as she’s grabbed again and thrown against the wall, wood paneling splintering beneath her body. Rita’s staff is suddenly at her neck, and Trini’s mouth opens in a soundless scream as it _burns_ into her, burns in a way she’s never felt before and never wants to feel again. Though her vision is hazy with pain, she sees Rita draw a long butcher knife with her other hand, raising it as she drops her staff, and Trini desperately throws herself forward, trying to get away from her. She somehow manages to catch Rita’s shoulder on the way past, and hears the knife clatter to the ground.

“No!”

Rita’s hand is around Trini’s neck again, this time squeezing hard enough to cut through her skin and draw blood with her fingernails. Trini’s feet leave the floor as Rita lifts her, and she chokes, beginning to see spots in her vision. Kimberly is screaming, and Trini glimpses her running forward before the door crashes open again and the unicorn is there, silhouetted by the lightning flashing in the sky behind it.

The unicorn charges at Rita, and Trini distantly hears her swear in a language she doesn't understand before she throws Trini away and lunges to the side. Trini feels her nails slice into her skin and yells, turning her head as she hits the floor and rolls.

The breath is knocked out of her when she hits the ground, and Trini lies there coughing. The bathrobe is now sticking to her, and out of the corner of her eye she confirms that she’s bleeding heavily, enough blood staining the white material of the robe that it would make Trini feel sick in any other circumstance.

Kimberly is at her side in an instant, yanking her to her feet and pushing her towards the door, yelling something Trini can’t understand, and Trini gasps. Rita is cackling gleefully and Trini would swear that she feels the ground shaking, but then it stops when the unicorn catches Rita’s staff for a moment with its horn. Rita dives for it and the unicorn prances between them and her, guarding Trini and Kimberly.

With her staff in hand again, Rita shoots a blast of green fire towards them and Trini scrambles backwards to avoid it. She realizes too late that Rita wasn’t aiming for her, and now she’s successfully managed to separate them from the unicorn.

“No!”

Kimberly grabs her arm again and pulls her towards the door, but Rita lifts her other hand to ignite another stream of green fire, causing her to reel backwards in panic. Both of them scramble away and Trini starts towards the window, but when more fire springs up in front of her, she skids to a stop, Kimberly knocking into her back. She spins around frantically, but they’re now surrounded, the fire spreading and preventing them from running.

The unicorn whinnies and rears up on its hind legs, but Trini can see that it’s just as trapped by the fire as they are. She shakes her head and points feebly towards the door, trying to tell it to run, but then the flames shoot higher and she loses sight of it. She whirls back around to face Rita, slowly advancing on them with her staff in one hand and her knife in the other. Trini doesn’t know when she grabbed on to Kimberly’s arm, but she isn’t letting go.

“The burning golden heart of a star at peace is so much better than your frightened little heart,” Rita raises the knife as one corner of her mouth curls upwards. Her voice is scarily calm and oddly detached, but the way her eyes are reflecting the green light of the fire is enough to give Trini nightmares for the rest of her days. “Even so… Better than no heart at all.”

Rita seems to approach in slow motion, and Trini feels lightheaded from what she really hopes isn’t blood loss. She hangs on to Kimberly who is still stubbornly in front of her, and she can feel her breathing raggedly as she slowly backs away with one hand held out to move Trini with her. Her shoulders are braced and her other arm is up defensively, but Trini knows she doesn’t have any weapons on her either.

The back of her heel hits the wall, and Trini presses herself against it, breath coming in quick pants as Kimberly stays in front of her. Kimberly is holding herself so tightly she’s shaking, keeping her arms out protectively, and Trini suddenly sees that she’s holding what’s left of the Babylon candle clutched in her hand.

“Trini,” Kimberly says urgently, turning her head towards her but not taking her eyes off of Rita, “Hold me tight and think of home.”

Not questioning it, Trini wraps one arm around Kimberly’s waist and loops her other around her arm, hiding her face between Kimberly’s shoulder blades and shaking as she tries to ignore the burning pain coming from her neck.

 _Home_ , she thinks desperately, _Home and open sky and shining brightly through the darkness and night and infinite light –_

Rita screams and raises her staff, and Kimberly thrusts the candle into the flames.

Light expands around them, the same intense light that had surrounded Kimberly on her first trip by candlelight, growing brighter as it curves around them and starts to pull. Trini clutches Kimberly tighter, one hand grasping at her shirt, and she thinks Kimberly is screaming, but the sound is rushing too loudly in her ears for her to be sure.

Trini squeezes her eyes shut, and –

They’re gone.

 


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and we finally meet the boys!

She’s immediately soaking wet again, her robe doing nothing against the sudden torrential rain, and she squints hard, trying to look through strands of her wet hair. Kimberly still has an arm wrapped around, but somehow during the trip they’ve shifted so they’re fully hugging each other, and everything around them is grey. Shivering violently, Trini hides her face in Kimberly’s neck and feels Kimberly tighten her arms securely around her shoulders.

Thunder crashes loudly, the air vibrating with the sound, and Trini blinks rain out of her eyes. They’re outside somewhere, but then she’s distracted by a searing pain running along the side of her neck, hissing as she untangles one arm to pull at the collar of her bathrobe.

“Holy shit,” Kimberly says loudly. She pushes Trini’s hand away and pokes tentatively at her skin with gentle fingers. “Are you okay? What were you even doing there? I – wait, holy crap!” Her mouth drops open as she stares at the misty-looking surface under their feet and then spins her head to take in the sights around them.

They’re in the clouds.

“What?!” Kimberly shouts, whirling around before fixing her gaze back on Trini, “How did this happen? The candle’s supposed to take you wherever you think of!”

Trini quickly puts it all together, but she really isn’t in the mood for this. She’s afraid and wired on adrenaline, and her panic translates from irritation into explosive anger, Kimberly’s accusing tone doing the exact opposite of helping.

“Exactly! You thought of your home and I thought of mine, and now we’re somewhere between the two!” Trini yells angrily, trying to keep her balance as the wind buffets them around.

“ _Your_ home? Why the hell would you do that?!”

Trini throws her arms up. “You just said _home_! What did you expect me to do!”

Kimberly scoffs, using both hands to push her hair back and wipe the water away from her eyes. “Some crazy lady was going to cut out your heart, I’m sorry for not taking the time to spell out specific instructions!”

Thunder crashing interrupts her response, and Trini tries to take a deep breath to calm herself down. Her hand comes away red where she touches her neck, and that is doing absolutely nothing to help. The blood washes away almost instantly in the rain, but when she looks down she sees it still seeping through her bathrobe, the red stain growing larger every second.

She looks up again when Kimberly makes a distressed noise to see that all the annoyance has been wiped off of her face, replaced with concern as she takes an unsteady step forward. Her hands are reaching out for her, but then they’re suddenly both bowled over, and Trini screams again as a giant net is dropped on them. It scoops them up and lifts them into the air, and she’s knocked forcefully into Kimberly. She doesn’t think before reaching out and grasping Kimberly’s flailing hand, and Kimberly squeezes back just as hard.

They swing through the air for a few sickening seconds, and then they’re unceremoniously dumped onto what feels like a wood floor, Trini losing her grip on Kimberly in the process as they’re ripped apart. Water is still dripping into her eyes, and from the rocking motion of the floor she assumes they’re now on some sort of ship. A skyship, in the clouds.

Lightning flashes across the sky as a crowd of people stands above them, all soaking wet in goggles and heavy cloaks, and Trini realizes who they are just as the thunder booms even though she can barely see through the rain.

Lightning catchers. Sky pirates. They’ve landed on a ship full of pirates in the middle of a lightning storm.

She’s hauled to her feet and pushed forward, but she can’t hear whatever it is the person yells at her. Trini grits her teeth in pain as her bathrobe rubs against the open cuts on her neck, but she lashes out anyways, aiming for the nearest person to her. She clocks him in the jaw and immediately whirls around to punch the next one. A grunt and the sounds of a scuffle off to the side tell her that Kimberly isn’t going quietly either.

Her lips curl up into half a smirk when she ducks under someone’s arm and sweeps the feet out from another, coming up to elbow somebody in the stomach, but she’s also exhausted and running on the tail end of her fading adrenaline, and they manage to subdue her enough to bind her hands together. She sees the same thing happening to Kimberly, and their eyes meet through the falling sheets of rain. The look of controlled desperation brings her some kind of relief, and she doesn’t break eye contact with Kimberly as the sky pirates shuffle around.

“What do you think, captain?” One shouts, and Trini grits her teeth, trying to yank herself out of the hands holding her still. “Caught ourselves a couple of lightning thieves?”

A whimper escapes Trini as the cuts on her neck are aggravated, and the lightning catcher standing closest to her seems to notice

“Shit, is that blood? Captain, one of them’s hurt!”

One of the figures steps forward, distinguishable by a dark red cloak compared to all the others in black and grey, and Trini is surprised when he lowers his hood, because he doesn’t look much older than Kimberly, blonde hair and a young face. “Let’s get them into the hold,” he calls out authoritatively, and the pirates follow his orders immediately, herding them towards a door.

Trini snarls as one puts a hand on her arm, wrenching away from him, and she can see Kimberly beginning to struggle again as well. Her feet slip on the wet deck and she almost falls, but her momentary distraction is enough for them to get her through the door. She is pleased to know she managed to sucker punch one of them in the stomach on her way in, however.

Only the captain follows them inside before the door is closed, shutting out the noise of the rain and leaving Trini with the sound of her pulse pounding in her ears along with her ragged breathing. Kimberly is at her side, hands bound in front of her but presence strong, and she starts talking immediately.

“Look, we’re not lightning thieves,” Kimberly says in an irritated tone of voice, “We’re only here by accident, so stay the hell away from us. We just want to get home to Wall.”

He holds up both hands and doesn’t move any closer. “Please, we aren’t going to hurt you.” Neither of them reacts, and he stays where he is. “Captain Jason Scott, of The Lost Ship.”

“The what?” Kimberly says through a clenched jaw, trying not to shiver, but Trini can feel her trembling where her arm is pressed against her own.

“That’s what we’re calling this ship,” Jason shrugs, unworried. “It’s a work in progress. We haven’t really picked a name yet.”

Something about him makes Trini want to trust him, but she doesn’t trust her own senses after Rita. She steps away from him, moving more towards the middle of the room, and Kimberly sticks close.

“Really, I promise. We’ll drop you off wherever you want, we aren’t holding you captive.”

“Then what’s this,” Trini tries to hold back her snarl, gesturing harshly with her bound hands.

“I’m sorry,” he keeps his hands up, “It's just that the crew doesn’t take kindly to lightning thieves.”

“We’re not!” Kimberly protests, and when Jason still doesn’t move closer to them, Trini cautiously starts to relax, purposefully unlocking her muscles and trying to calm her racing heart. She watches him warily, but something about him feels almost familiar.

“It’s okay, I believe that you’re not lighting thieves.”

Kimberly blows out a relieved breath. “Oh thank god,” she mutters, “I have had enough for one day, thank you very much. Can you take these off then?” She holds her bound hands out towards the captain, and Trini’s breath catches, her mouth dropping open in horror. Kimberly’s left hand is completely burnt, skin red and blistering angrily, and Trini hadn’t noticed her sticking her entire hand into the flames to light the candle, but that must have been exactly what she did.

“Of course.” Jason pulls a knife out and moves towards them, and Trini flinches involuntarily at the sight. Kimberly gives her a concerned look, faltering as she steps forward to meet him.

It’s only as her sight of the captain is obscured that Trini realizes Kimberly has been keeping her body in front of Trini’s this whole time, not letting anybody get between them, and her eyes widen, unsure what to do with that bit of information.

Kimberly lets Jason cut her restraints and rubs at her wrists, and he clicks his tongue at the sight of her hand, leaning closer to get a better look.

“I can get you something for that,” he says sympathetically as he turns towards Trini, and she reluctantly stretches her own bound hands out. Kimberly comes to stand behind her and she automatically leans into her shoulder, shivering and very conscious of the fact that she’s still wearing a bathrobe. Jason is quick about cutting through the ropes, and Trini retracts her freed hands, eyeing him critically.

The ship suddenly lurches, the movement rougher than the others, and it unbalances Trini. Kimberly’s arms are out to catch her even before Trini stumbles, and she presses closer to her with barely hidden desperation, flinching when the material of the bathrobe gets pressed into her neck.

“Are you okay?” Kimberly asks worriedly, eyebrows furrowing in concern. Her eyes flit over the red on the bathrobe, and she squeezes Trini’s arm while she keeps her left hand close to herself.

“Yeah,” Trini breathes, eyes wide as she stares up at Kimberly’s face, “I mean… thank you. For getting us out of there before…” Trini exhales shakily, closing her eyes and leaning forward to rest her forehead tiredly against the side of Kimberly’s jaw. She feels Kimberly wrap an arm around her waist and pull her closer, and Trini moves to press her face into Kimberly’s neck.

Somebody quietly clears their throat, and Trini stiffens. They turn to see Jason standing politely by the door, half-turned away to give them the illusion of privacy, and Trini observes him with a furrowed brow. He doesn’t seem very threatening at all.

“You can dry off in my cabin, I think that’s well past due,” he offers, “But I’ve got to get back to the crew. This lighting isn’t going to catch itself!” He sticks his head out the door and yells something over the wind, pulling back and shaking out his wet hair. It sticks to his forehead comically, and he gives them an easy smile. Trini assumes he’s used to this kind of weather. “Okay, just duck your head and move. I’ve got my two best guys outside, you don’t have to worry about anything, they’ll get you through alright.”

Trini feels Kimberly nod beside her and draws comfort from the warm hand she has pressed against her back. They step towards the door, and Jason waits until they’re close enough before he yanks open the door again.

“This is Billy, and Zack,” Jason yells over the sound of the storm, gesturing at the two guys waiting on the other side of the door. They both wave in greeting, and Trini raises an eyebrow in amusement when she realizes Zack is the one she punched on her way in.

Trini flinches as they step back out into the storm, barely able to see through the downpour. They duck and run together, the two guys on either side of them ushering them forwards, and she tries to move quickly, stumbling as the floor shifts under their feet. They make it across the deck, Billy yanking open another heavy door and urging them through. Trini takes a deep breath as Zack wrestles the heavy door shuts behind them, blocking out the wind and rain, and it’s finally warm.

Taking another deep breath, she closes her eyes for a moment before turning to take in the room they now find themselves in. It looks almost like a grand stateroom or dining room, and Trini stares in amazement. There’s a gentle touch to her hand, and Trini starts when Kimberly tangles their fingers together to squeeze her hand.

“Okay!” Zack claps his hands behind them, water dripping from his sleeves. “Have to go help the boss man.” He pauses to smile at them. “Nobody on this ship will hurt you, I promise. We’ll see you after the storm!” He slips out the door again, and as one they turn back to Billy, who gives them a bright smile.

“Oh! I’ll get you some towels,” he says, pointing at the growing puddles of water under their feet. He bustles off, and Trini leans over to try and wring out her hair, knowing it’s futile. Billy returns quickly, arms full of mismatched towels, and Trini lets go of Kimberly’s hand to accept them gratefully. At her side, Kimberly makes a pleased sound as well, but she’s having trouble juggling her part of the stack with one hand out of commission, and Trini’s brow furrows in concern.

She puts her pile down on the table and steps towards Kimberly to help, shaking out a towel and wrapping it around her shoulders before picking up her pile for her. Kimberly smiles gratefully and clutches the two ends with her uninjured hand.

Billy leads them around the massive table and across the room to another door, opening it for them to reveal what must be the captain’s quarters. Leaving them to marvel at everything, he unhooks a metal box from under the table and offers it to them. “A med kit. Everything we’ve got on the ship should be in there. I’m assuming you want to treat your injuries yourselves, but do you want some help?”

Trini takes the box from him and sets it on the dresser next to her. “Thanks, but I think we’ve got it.”

Billy nods. “Let me know if you do need any help, though. I’m really good at patching people up, I remember how to do everything.” He fidgets with his fingers, tapping a rhythm out on the tabletop before turning around. “There’s more towels and a whole bunch of clothes, you can pick whatever you like,” he tells them, gesturing at a sliding door that must be a closet. “I’ll have some food out here for you when you’re done!” Billy gives them a kind smile and closes the door, leaving them alone.

It’s quiet now, even the sound of the rain barely audible, and Trini doesn’t know what to say to Kimberly. Her neck twinges again, and she suddenly feels the pain radiating from the cuts very acutely. Exhaling, she pulls away the collar of her bathrobe to examine her neck and bites her lip in pain as she unsticks the material. It’s still bleeding sluggishly, and Kimberly hisses when she sees the deep gouges.

“So – so the crazy lady with the knife was going to cut your heart out and _eat_ it?” Kimberly breaks the silence with a quiet question, sounding vaguely horrified as she adjusts the towel around her shoulders.

“Uh, yeah,” Trini says hesitantly, shifting on her feet and picking at her sleeves. “I – thought you knew? Eating the heart of a star makes you immortal.” She ducks her head, frightened of Kimberly’s reaction, and her wet hair swings into her face. “Everlasting life. The brighter it shines, the longer it lasts.”

“And that’s literal? Cut it out and _eat_ it?” She sounds disgusted, and Trini finally manages to meet her eyes, slowly relaxing when she sees that Kimberly isn’t running for the nearest sharp object to take immortality for herself.

“Yeah,” Trini exhales, exhausted and slumping back against the edge of the table. “Yup, that’s – that’s why it’s so dangerous when a star falls. Also why I never planned to try it,” she mutters, gingerly craning her neck.

Kimberly steps forward, and then there’s a gentle touch on her forearm. “Can – can I see your neck?”

Trini snaps her head around to look at her and automatically raises one hand to hold it over the cuts, knowing Kimberly doesn’t mean her any harm but still feeling a bolt of panic shoot through her.

“It’s… I just need to make sure you’re going to be okay. Please?”

Kimberly is watching her with hopeful eyes, and Trini slowly lowers her hand back to her side.

“Okay, but then we’re doing your hand. It’s not like you can bandage me properly with only one working hand anyways.”

“Thank you,” Kimberly says softly, giving her a grateful smile and moving to the med kit sitting on the dresser. She unlatches it awkwardly, still keeping her burned hand held close in front of her, and turns back with an armful of gauze and bandages.

“Do you want to sit?” Kimberly asks as she steps closer, carefully balancing the supplies with her brow pinched in concern. Trini decides that that’s probably a good idea, but the closest chair is on the opposite side of the room, and that suddenly seems like an insurmountable distance as she realizes how lightheaded she feels.

“Here, sit on the table,” Kimberly lets everything spill out of her arms and onto the table, and then pats the spot next to it. Trini perches herself on the tabletop obligingly, lightly swinging her feet through the air as Kimberly moves in front of her.

Giving her one more look, Kimberly gently starts to peel away the shoulder of Trini’s bathrobe. Trini glances down long enough to glimpse the jagged scratches before she averts her gaze off to the side.

“Hey, it’s – I think it’s already healing,” Kimberly marvels, brushing her fingertips along the edge of the lowest one, and Trini shivers.

“Really?” Trini asks doubtfully. It doesn’t feel like it’s healing. “It’s been like… half an hour. Is that a normal amount of time for humans to start healing from an injury like this?”

Kimberly huffs a short laugh. “No, it’s definitely not normal for humans.” Her brow is furrowed in confusion, but her expression is relieved when she stands up properly. She pulls away and shrugs, and Trini’s skin feels achingly cold in a way she suspects has nothing to do with her wet clothes.

“Right,” Trini clears her throat, “Your turn, princess. Give me your hand.” She turns to sort through the supplies Kimberly had scattered across the table, finding a small bottle of ointment that will work on burns. Kimberly leans her hip against the edge of the table next to her, watching as Trini fumbles with the cap before managing to crack it open and setting it down at her side.

“I can’t believe you stuck your whole hand into the fire,” Trini chides without any real conviction behind the words. She carefully takes Kimberly’s wrist, pulling it into her lap. Furrowing her brow, she turns Kimberly’s hand over carefully in her own. She could have sworn that it looked worse than this before, when they were outside.

“Yours looks like it’s healing too, Kim,” Trini says, the nickname slipping out before she can stop it. Kimberly ducks her head to get a better look at her hand, her short hair falling forward to obscure her face, but Trini can see the smile curving up her lips.

“Well, I’m not going to complain about that,” Kimberly muses, bringing her hand up to examine it closer, “I think you’re right.” Trini takes her wrist again and proceeds to clean it as best she can, covering the worst of the burns with the ointment and then wrapping it loosely. Kimberly flexes her fingers and smiles her thanks, and then takes the bandages from Trini, going back to her neck with a determined look on her face. Trini keeps her face turned away from her while she works, only wincing occasionally at the sharp discomfort.

Now both bandaged, Kimberly takes a step back and holds out her hand to help Trini off the table before they move towards the large closet. Kimberly carelessly throws the door open, but stops and gapes at the sight that greets them.

It’s almost the same size as the main room, with shelves lining the walls and racks filling the space in between. At the end there’s a full length mirror, and partitions set up in the corner, presumably to change. Trini thinks she sees every type of clothing imaginable and furrows her brow when she spots a ballerinas outfit, tutu and all. Why did a pirate captain need so many clothes?

A lock of hair has fallen in front of her face again, and Trini rolls her eyes in defeat. Trying to ignore it, she turns to Kimberly to make a comment about the clothes but pauses when she finds the other girl already staring at her.

Silently, Kimberly reaches out and pushes her hair away, tucking it behind her ear and giving her an indecipherable look before turning and going to dig through one side of the massive closet. It’s that touch that convinces Trini that leaving her hair like this is going to annoy her to no end, and makes a note to braid it back when her hair is drier.

She wanders to another rack, eying the simple pants and shirts, and on instinct puts her hands into the pockets of the bathrobe. Her fingers brush against something and she frowns in confusion. Withdrawing her hand, she finds the yellow coin that had started this whole mess sitting innocently in her palm, and all she can do is stare. She has no memory of putting it there, but she must have swiped it before leaving her room at Rita’s creepy inn. How else would it have gotten in her pocket? She is surprised that it hadn’t fallen out while they were out in the storm though. She shakes her head and closes her hand around it, quickly picking through the clothes.

Seeing Kimberly still searching through the closet, Trini gathers up the pants and shirt she’s chosen and steps behind the partition, hurriedly shedding the wet bloodstained bathrobe and letting it fall to the floor. Toweling herself off properly, she hisses when her movement pulls at her neck and quickly dresses. Bundling up her discarded robe, Trini takes the yellow coin and slips it into the pocket of her jeans.

Tugging on the hem of the shirt, Trini steps out from behind the partition and then feels her heart leap into her throat when she looks up, because Kimberly is in the process of changing into a tank top. Trini squeaks and spins around to face the wall, face red as she blinks rapidly to get the image of Kimberly’s bare skin out of her mind, and even when she hears the shuffling from Kimberly stop, she stays where she is. Casting her gaze up to the ceiling and sighing, she scrubs at her eyes and then touches a tentative finger to the bandage on her neck.

As she sweeps her gaze idly over the racks and shelves of clothes lining the room, Kimberly is evidently having a difficult time getting changed with one hand. Trini mentally sends a plea to her sisters that Kimberly won’t need any help.

“You can turn around now,” Kimberly says in an amused tone of voice, and Trini refuses to be embarrassed when she does just that. Kimberly looks much more like herself now, dressed in dark jeans and a pink tank top, and Trini smiles despite herself, going to dump the ruined bathrobe by the door.

Among the racks of clothes, she spots a cozy looking knit beanie sitting on a shelf, and her eyes light up as she grabs it, glad to finally have something to cover her cold ears. She slips it on and adjusts it over her forehead so it doesn’t slip down to cover her eyes, letting out a content hum.

“Looks good on you,” Kimberly gives her a sidelong glance and a grin before going back to pushing aside hangers, and Trini hides her pleased smile. Stepping up next to her, Trini starts to go through the assortment of clothes with her, checking out each of the hangers Kimberly pushes aside.

“Ooh!” Kimberly perks up and pulls a leather jacket off a hanger, shaking it out and holding it up. “What do you think?”

Trini smiles. “It’s perfect,” she nods approvingly.

Giving Kimberly another fond glance as she puts on the jacket, Trini’s eyes are drawn to the hanger right behind Kimberly’s now empty one. There’s a bomber jacket that looks like it’s exactly her size hanging there, and she reaches for it eagerly. Putting it on, she sighs in satisfaction when the bomber settles comfortably across her shoulders, relieved to finally be out of both her dress and the bathrobe. All that’s left is shoes, and Trini swivels her head to find a shoe rack on the other side of the room, quickly honing in on a pair of sneakers. She goes over and pulls them on, lacing them up properly before looking up to see how Kimberly’s doing.

She blinks when she sees that Kimberly’s stepped closer without her noticing, and Trini feels her starlight warm at the proximity, a soft glow starting to seep out of her. Kimberly lifts a trembling hand, and Trini waits to see what she’s doing with bated breath.

She doesn’t move for a moment, hand hovering between them, and then it falls and she tugs gently at the front of Trini’s jacket.

“We should – we should probably go see what Billy’s pulling together,” she breathes, not moving, “Can’t be rude and hide in the closet forever.”

Trini clears her throat and nods, shuffling her feet and taking a step back.

“So, game plan?” Kimberly asks, adjusting her new leather jacket. There’s a small white flower poking crookedly out of the front pocket, and Trini reaches out to rearrange it without thinking. “Do we trust these guys?”

“Well, right now we don’t have a choice,” Trini says, but she resolves not to let herself tricked again by a harmless appearance like with Rita. Together they head back out the door into the main room, Kimberly holding the door for Trini to pass through.

The sound of the storm outside has abated without Trini noticing, and Jason and Zack are now standing in the doorway, stomping their feet and removing wet cloaks. True to his word, Billy has somehow gotten a meal together in time, the table now laden with dishes, and Trini only moves hesitantly towards it when the three guys have sat down and Kimberly puts a hand on her arm.

“Please,” Jason spreads his arms, gesturing at the food, “Help yourselves.”

Trini sits down warily, but her grumbling stomach reminds her that she hasn’t eaten in almost two days.

“So you said you’re from the village of Wall?” Billy asks after her and Kimberly both have full plates.

Trini goes rigid, freezing with her fork in the air and shooting a wide-eyed glance at Kimberly. For her part, Kimberly only sends her a quick glance before nodding.

“Yup! We were traveling, now we’re just headed home.”

Zack raises an eyebrow. “Don’t suppose you’re going to tell us how you ended up in the clouds during a lightning storm?”

Kimberly only gives him a coy smile and shoots Trini an amused glance.

“Well, we can give you a lift to the nearest skyport, if you want,” Jason offers, “It’s about 60 more miles to the Wall from there. Cut off a few days from your journey.”

Trini’s pretty sure it saves them more than a few days, but she’s surprised at the offer, glad that Kimberly accepts it. This is a much better method of transportation than walking through the woods.

They fill the rest of the dinner with casual conversation, learning about lightning catchers and the places the guys have been and about Wall and the human world from Kimberly. Halfway through Trini realizes they all feel familiar like Jason did, like she should know them, and as she listens to them speak over each other Trini can’t help but be endeared by their earnest charm. They even get a couple laughs out of her, much to Trini’s surprise.

“Jason, where’re they going to sleep?” Billy asks at the end of the meal, a crease in his brow, and Jason thinks about it for a moment.

“Okay, I’ve figured it out. You can take my cabin, and I’ll bunk down with the crew.”

Trini opens her mouth to protest, but then reconsiders it. She’s definitely more comfortable with the idea of bunking alone with Kimberly than with an entire group of strangers below deck.

Once Jason reassures them that they aren’t inconveniencing anybody, they all gather the dishes and leave for the night. Trini follows behind them to latch the door, and she stops in surprise when she turns back to see Kimberly watching her. Kimberly looks like she wants to say something but instead quickly looks away, eyes dropping down to her bandaged hand as she picks at a piece of loose tape.

“Well… goodnight then,” Trini says awkwardly, moving to head back into the other room and dig out some pyjamas.

“Hey,” Kimberly stops her with a hand on her arm, “Can I talk to you for a second?”

Trini nods hesitantly, and Kimberly takes a deep breath.

“Your, um… the candle’s gone,” she says nervously, fidgeting with her fingers and shifting from foot to foot. “I used the last of it to get us away from Rita.”

Nodding slowly, Trini tilts her head, unsure where she’s going with this.

“So… I understand if you don’t want to come to Wall with me anymore. We can probably ask Jason to drop you off somewhere else, or…” she trails off, watching Trini with uncertainty shining in her eyes.

Her breath catches at the words, finally remembering their initial agreement. She had been following her with the promise of the Babylon candle, but Trini realizes she hadn’t even considered leaving Kimberly now that it was gone.

“Who would keep you out of trouble?” Trini says lightly, pretending to be extremely focused on finding pyjamas. There’s silence, and Trini only looks up when her hands close around a suitable change of clothes. Kimberly is still standing in the same spot, but she’s smiling warmly at her, and Trini swallows when her heart does a little flip at the sight.

 

They spend the next few days getting to know the whole crew, but mostly the three boys. Surprisingly, they find what Trini would tentatively call friends in them, though it takes a bit longer for Trini to trust them. Though she doesn’t say much at first, mostly keeping to herself in the corner while Kimberly interacts with the guys, Trini eventually lets herself get pulled into the conversations. If she’s being honest with herself, there was never much of a chance for her to resist Kimberly’s face as she tried to tug her forwards. She also finds that she doesn’t like how easily Kimberly is getting along with Jason, although she can’t quantify why.

The slashes on Trini’s neck heal within a couple of days, fading instead to jagged white lines that stand out stark against her skin. She catches Kimberly eyeing them with something unreadable in her eyes a couple of times, a mixture of regret and anger, and she never knows how to react.

Kimberly’s hand is also good as new, and Trini puzzles over how they’ve healed so quickly. When she asks Kimberly, her brow furrows in concern before she shrugs and grabs Trini’s hand, citing it a mystery for another time as she drags her along through the ship.

The crew teaches them how to catch lightning during the next storm they fly into, and Kimberly whoops in delight, beaming at Trini from under her own hooded cloak, soaking wet. Trini laughs and turns to watch the lightning crackle across the sky, readying herself for the next strike.

During the day, Jason teaches Kimberly to swordfight, and Trini is impressed at how well she picks it up, gleefully starting to disarm him within a couple of hours. Trini laughs until Kimberly beckons her forward and insists she learn how to fight too.

Trini’s lessons go less well, though Billy is an excellent teacher. The sword is too long for her, and it doesn’t let her move as quickly as she wants. At this rate she would rather spar with them hand to hand, because she’d at least be able to hold her own.

Trini groans in frustration when she’s disarmed again, overbalancing and cursing when her blade hits the floor. Billy hurries to pick it up and hand it back to her, and next to them Jason and Kimberly stop their own sparring match to come closer.

“Do you have something, I don’t know, smaller?” Trini asks in a defeated tone of voice as she accepts the sword from him.

Kimberly snorts, one hand raised delicately in front of her face, and Trini scowls at her. Billy furrows his brow before he brightens, spinning and throwing open one of the hatches on the other side of the deck. “I think I’ve got something,” he calls over his shoulder as he starts digging, and Trini cranes her neck to see what’s inside it.

He continues to rummage for a few moments before making a triumphant noise and stepping back, letting the hatch fall shut. Zack has wandered back from his shift as navigator, and watches the proceedings with interest.

“Here,” Billy holds out two daggers, hilts first, and Trini automatically stretches out her hands to accept them. Tilting her head, she eyes them with interest, experimentally flipping one in the air. She catches the handle in a smooth motion and twirls it around her fingers, surprised at how natural they feel in her hands.

“Wait, we get to choose weapons?” Kimberly pipes up, looking excited.

Jason shrugs. “To find what suits you best, I guess it involves choosing.”

“Well, I mean, if you two are going to be traveling alone, then yeah, you should probably be armed,” Zack says with an easy grin on his face.

“I’m pretty good with a bow and arrow,” Kimberly offers, “Do you have that on board?”

“We’ll try and find you a bow when we hit the next trading post,” Jason assures her, holding up his sword again and readying himself, “Until then, we practice with what we’ve got.”

Trini looks away, forcing herself to focus on Billy’s teachings with renewed vigor, holding up the daggers and settling into a defensive stance.

The days start to blur together, a mess of training and laughter. The strange tingly feeling in her throat and in her stomach only seems to worsen as Trini gets to know Kimberly better, and Trini pushes it all aside determinedly, trying not to look into it as they get better at fighting.

Jason is a good teacher, patient and always encouraging, while Billy is both technical and adaptable, flowing effortlessly through the motions. Zack is more of a brawler, and that pairs adversely with Trini’s own aggressive fighting style. After one of their sparring match ends with matching split lips and more bruises than they can count, Trini and Zack are banned from training together.

“You two are way too reckless,” Kimberly admonishes as she gently cleans off the broken skin of Trini’s knuckles. “You should be more careful.”

“Kim, you almost jumped off the crow’s nest the other day, and then you did go climbing through the rigging just to catch up with Zack, so I don’t think you’re one to talk.”

“That’s different,” Kimberly sniffs, lips curling in amusement and eyeing Trini good-naturedly, “I’m great at doing those things.”

“You slipped on the rigging and got tangled up in the ropes ten feet up in the air.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Kimberly declares, adopting a disinterested tone of voice. “Also, I totally beat Zack anyways. I am excellent at everything I do.”

“Yeah?” Trini smirks, feeling brave. “How about you prove it? Spar with me.”

“Oh, you’re on.”

 

Trini finds Billy on the deck one night, scribbling busily in a notebook, and she only hesitates for a moment before going to lean against the side of the ship a couple paces away from him.

“Hey Trini,” he greets her with a smile, glancing up quickly before returning his attention to his notebook. “Do you know anything about star charts?”

The corner of Trini’s lips quirk up and she shakes her head, feigning innocence and asking mildly, “No, how do they work?” She settles in comfortably to listen to Billy ramble as he works, not mentioning it when his thoughts become too jumbled for her to understand properly.

“What are you doing out here? It’s late.”

Trini turns to see Zack ambling towards her and tilts her head up, adjusting her beanie when a cool breeze ruffles her hair. “You’re here too, you know.”

“I had the nightshift, what’s your excuse?”

Trini shrugs, not telling him that this was how she had been spending the majority of her nights, still unable to sleep during the night like humans did. Zack shrugs back and comes to lean against the side of the ship next to her, crossing his arms on the railing. He doesn’t speak, and Trini hums, surprised when he doesn’t start talking. Billy is still mumbling distractedly over his notebook, and Trini makes sure to keep an ear open to absorb as much of it as possible.

Zack keeps her company for a bit longer before he straightens, running a hand through his hair and yawning.

“Don’t go to bed too late, alright crazy girl?” Zack waits for her to nod before he claps her on the arm and goes to Billy, urging him to stand and falling into step beside him as they move towards the cabins.

Trini watches after them for a long moment after they disappear through the door before she turns back, resting her forearms along on the wooden railing. She stays there all night, leaning against the side of the ship with her face turned up to the stars.

It’s only as the light of the early dawn starts to stretch across the ship that she’s interrupted again, this time by a sleepy Kimberly.

“Hey,” she murmurs, breaking off into a yawn, “Whatcha doing?” She comes and wraps an arm around Trini’s waist, nuzzling her face into her shoulder, and Trini stiffens in surprise.

“Nothing, princess,” she murmurs quietly, and she hears Kimberly sigh as she makes herself comfortable.

“Wishing on a star?” she asks, voice still muffled from where her face is pressed against Trini, and Trini huffs a laugh, turning her head to face her.

“No, just… thinking.”

“Care to… shed some light on the situation?” Kimberly pulls back and looks exceptionally pleased with herself as she yawns again, and it takes Trini a moment to realize she’s making a joke.

“Okay, idiot, that’s enough out of you.” Trini grins and takes her arm, gently guiding her around and back to their cabin. A warm feeling swells in her, starlight warm, and it spirals out of her chest before she can stop it. It doesn’t go away, and she finally manages to fall asleep.

 

“What do you think about love?” Kimberly asks abruptly one morning as they’re both getting ready to face the day. Trini’s already dressed, leaning against the wall as she waits for Kimberly who is for some reason taking significantly longer.

Startled, Trini fumbles the dagger she’s been tossing into the air, catching it at the last second.

“I – I don’t know, why?”

Kimberly shrugs, pulling on her jacket and brushing back her hair. “Oh, I was just wondering if stars had a different way of thinking about these things.”

Shaking her head awkwardly, Trini starts to play with her dagger, needing something to do with her hands. “N-no, I don’t – I mean, maybe there is, but _I_... I don’t really… I’ve never been in love,” she finishes quietly. She clears her throat and then tries to deflect back to Kimberly. “What about you? You love anyone?”

“I thought I did,” Kimberly says cheerfully, strapping her sword around her waist, “But then shit blew up and, well, that kind of went with it. Maybe I can fix it when I get home this time, fix everything.” She sounds hopeful, and Trini busies herself with stowing her daggers properly, resolutely not meeting Kimberly’s eyes. Why did that bother her so much?

On the plus side, this meant that Kimberly probably wasn’t into Jason romantically. However, it also meant that she was in love with somebody back home, which was equally disheartening to hear.

Her brow furrows as she properly sheathes her last dagger, keeping one hand wrapped loosely around the handle. Why was she worrying so much about who Kimberly loved, unless…?

“You ready?” Kimberly asks, and Trini jerks her head up, eyes wide and panicked.

“Uh – yup! Okay let’s go.” She whirls around and yanks the door open, wanting to get away from Kimberly as if she’ll somehow be able to sense her new realization that she might be interested in her romantically.

Kimberly is trailing after her in confusion, and Trini bows her head, pulling her beanie down. Now this was just fantastic.

In her pocket, she swears she feels the yellow coin heat up for a moment, but it’s gone when she slaps her hand over it.

“Great,” she whispers to herself, watching Kimberly cross the deck. “Just great.”

 

“You’re hanging around Billy too much. I think he’s a bad influence,” Trini says, lips twitching as she tries to contain her laughter. Across the deck, Jason is bandaging Billy up in a similar fashion.

“Relax, starshine, I’ll be fine!” Kimberly waves her free hand to shoo away Trini’s fussing, the other one held immobile between Trini’s as she wraps it in yet another bandage. “I’m supposed to be the one protecting you, remember?”

Trini freezes, and Kimberly flushes, casting her gaze out at the clouds.

“You’re… protecting me?”

“Pssh, well,” Kimberly waves her hand again, “Nobody cares about what happens to me. Or cares about me. And they definitely want you, so, yes. I’m protecting you.” She looks proud of herself, and also oddly defiant, chin tilted up and eyes glinting like she’s daring Trini to fight her on something.

Not meeting her eyes, Trini doesn’t answer, tucking the end of the bandage around Kimberly’s wrist but not letting go of her hand. “How about we protect each other then, huh?”

Kimberly appears to consider it for a minute before finally nodding. “Okay,” she says agreeably, “It’s a deal.”

Trini nods and pats her hand once. “So, in the interest of protecting you, I think you should probably stop blowing stuff up for fun. Just, you know, my personal opinion.”

“I resent that.”

“Just consider it next time you and Billy decide to play with explosives, yeah?”

“Maybe.”

Trini stops and thinks for a second before shrugging and giving her a nod. "I’ll take it.”

 

“We’re going into the market today,” Billy tells them the next day when they emerge from their borrowed cabin, clapping his hands excitedly.

Zack whoops and comes over to sling an arm around each of their shoulders. Kimberly just laughs, and though Trini scowls at him she doesn’t do anything to get away.

The ship docks with a small bump, crew members crossing onto land to secure it, and Trini lounges around on the deck with Kimberly as they wait to disembark. Jason goes to oversee that the lightning is packaged properly and ready to be transported, and Kimberly sprawls out in her seat next to her.

An explosion rocks the ship, and Trini is already on her feet with a dagger drawn before the sound has faded. Kimberly’s standing at her side protectively, head whipping around with one hand on the hilt of her sword, but nobody else seems to react, and Trini looks around in confusion.

A door slams open, and Billy goes tearing across the deck towards the cabins yelling, “That might have been my fault!”

Trini blinks after him, and Jason laughs, giving her a sheepish grin and waving at them to lower their weapons.

“Yeah, explosions on this ship doesn’t automatically mean we’re under attack,” he says apologetically, rubbing the back of his neck.

Zack laughs and slides down from where he had been securing the sail. “Nope, sometimes it just means Billy’s awake and got his hands on some questionable stuff that we don’t ask about.”

Kimberly huffs a relieved breath and takes her hand off her sword, instead throwing it around Trini’s tense shoulders.

“Alright, time to head out.”

Trini looks up to see Jason standing by the gangplank and waving them over. There are a bunch of neatly stacked crates next to him, and the crew starts to carry them off as they make their way over.

“Billy!” Jason calls out, cupping his hands around his mouth, “We’re ready to leave!”

Billy rushes back out with his arms full of small objects with blinking lights, trying to shove them into the satchel hanging off of his shoulder, and Trini hurries over to help him.

“Thanks,” he gives her a grateful smile as they pile them in, “Don’t wanna drop anything.”

Trini turns one over between her fingers, noting the blinking lights and strange looking casings that look like they’re designed to be attached to something else. “And they are…?”

“Explosives!”

“Ah.” Trini promptly puts the one she’s holding into the bag with the rest of them and takes a casual step back.

Jason calls for them again and they all disembark, walking down the gravel path towards a trading post visible in the distance. The road becomes busier the closer they get, all kinds of people bustling past them, and Trini finds herself with her hand clutching Kimberly’s.

They make it inside the limits of the market, and Trini takes in their surroundings with wide eyes, noting how different it is from anywhere else she’d been since landing. It’s loud and cramped, but there’s so much too see that she can’t help but want to explore.

Letting Zack deal with the buyers, Jason hustles off into the maze of market stalls and returns shortly after with an empty quiver and a bow, a proud smile on his face.

“Here, Kim,” he holds them out, and Kimberly lights up at the sight, taking them both and slinging the quiver over her shoulder before testing the bowstring.

“You should go pick out some arrows, won’t be much use until then,” Jason suggests, motioning towards Zack with his head. “Take him with you, we really don’t want you causing any trouble here.”

Trini scoffs. “And Zack is the one who’s going to be the one to do that?”

Kimberly laughs and beams at Trini before flouncing off with Zack, tugging him along excitedly.

“Why Captain, fancy meeting you here,” a voice interrupts them from behind, and Trini flinches before she can stop herself, some quality of it reminding her of Rita.

“Ditchwater Sal, such a pleasure to be running into you again,” Jason says in a distracted tone of voice. His smile is a little strained, but he doesn’t reach for his sword, so Trini follows his lead and keeps her daggers sheathed. The woman he’s talking to is older than anyone on his ship, all wrinkled skin and tangled red hair, and Trini senses something off with the magic surrounding her.

Jason appears completely at ease, and Trini writes it off, surprising herself when she realizes she trusts Jason. She’s missed most of their conversation, mostly pleasantries and gossip about people she’s never heard of, but then one sentence carries to her perfectly clear.

“Haven’t you heard? Rumor has it a star has fallen.”

Trini shifts uncomfortably, tucking her hands up into her sleeves. Kimberly suddenly appears at her side with a quiver full of arrows and a steely expression on her face, but she doesn’t say anything. She puts her hand low on Trini’s back and moves her fingers in slow circles, slowly edging them backwards. Billy nudges Jason in the side, and after shooting them a quick glance, he holds his arm out and ushers Sal away from them, closer to the open stalls while Trini and Kimberly stay by Billy.

The reminder that there are people out there actively hunting for her puts a damper on the rest of their trip, and Trini finds herself not enjoying the market nearly as much.

As they leave, Zack falls into step beside her. He stays silent until they’re about halfway back to the ship, falling behind Jason, Billy, and Kimberly in front of them but ahead of the crewmembers trailing in the back of the group.

“So what’s the deal with you and Kimberly?” he asks without preamble, his usual easygoing grin absent.

“Nothing,” Trini mutters, “Absolutely nothing.” She glances up to reassure herself, expecting to catch a glimpse of the back of Kimberly’s head, but is surprised when she meets Kimberly’s eyes instead. She almost stumbles, and Kimberly holds her stare for a long moment before turning back to face the front.

“Uh huh,” Zack says doubtfully, “Yeah, that looked a lot like nothing to me.”

Trini scowls at him, debating whether or not to shove him away, and he flashes her a quick grin.

“Anyways, I got you something,” he tells her, pulling some kind of sheath out of his bag, “You’re small, I thought you’d enjoy getting as many pointy things as you can hidden on you.”

He hands it to her, and Trini pulls out a wickedly sharp knife about the size of her palm. There are three inside, and Trini holds one up at eye level, balancing it on the tip of her finger, knowing they’re perfect for throwing.

“Thank you, Zack,” she says sincerely, stowing the knife back with the others, and Zack gives her a smile.

They walk the rest of the way to the ship in what Trini would like to call companionable silence, but is in reality Zack cracking bad jokes and Trini giving one-word answers. Still, the smile doesn’t leave her face, and when they reach the ship she spares a glance at the sky, wondering what her sisters think of her now.

 

A triumphant shout from Billy interrupts the steady flow of conversation one night, and they turn to where he’s sitting across the deck.

Seeing their looks, he bounces to his feet and gestures eagerly at whatever he had been working on. “Look! I fixed it!” He reaches out and presses something, and then the sounds of music start filtering through the boxy contraption he has sitting on the table.

“Music!” Zack jumps to his feet. “Billy, my man, you made the music machine work again! You know what that means?” He turns to face them and holds his arms out expectantly before answering his own question. “Dancing!”

“Oh, I don’t – ” Trini tries to protest as he pulls her up and towards the open area in the middle of the deck, “I don’t know how to dance.”

“Good thing I’m such a great teacher then!”

Trini scoffs but lets him lead her forward by the hand. “You’re a terrible teacher. There’s a reason why only Jason and Billy are teaching us how to swordfight and not you.”

He presses a hand to his chest as he keeps the other one holding Trini’s aloft. “Harsh. I really felt that one, crazy girl.”

She gives him a reluctant half smile and holds her other hand up, laying it haphazardly on his shoulder, and she shrugs apologetically while grinning at him. He nods theatrically and then starts to move, and Trini immediately trips over her feet, stumbling around.

She resolutely doesn’t look up from her feet, but quickly gets the hang of it, lengthening her stride and moving more fluidly, and Zack raises an impressed eyebrow. Everything seems brighter even though it’s nighttime, laughter echoing across the deck, and Trini finds herself giggling as he whirls her around the deck.

The next time he dips her, he leans close and puts his lips right next to Trini’s ear. “I know what you are,” he whispers, and Trini stiffens immediately, reaching for the dagger on her hip and trying to pull away. Everything around them immediately turns a shade darker, and she realizes belatedly that she must have been glowing. She inwardly curses herself for letting her starlight shine unchecked. It’s the one sign that’s a dead giveaway of her being a star, and she’s become too complacent around these people, dropping her guard.

“Don’t worry, it’s okay!” he hurries to reassure her, “Nobody on this ship will harm you in any way.” He says it sincerely, and something in his eyes convinces her to let go of her weapon and slowly put her hand back on his shoulder. They haven’t stopped dancing, but Trini can see Kimberly watching them with concern. She catches her eye as they whirl by, and Kimberly gives her a smile and an encouraging thumbs up.

“Dude, your emotions are giving you away,” Zack tells her in a hushed tone of voice as he keeps guiding her through the dance steps, “You should probably learn to control that. You’re glowing more every day,” he gives her a sly grin, “And I think I know why.”

“Of course I know why I’m glowing, dumbass,” Trini rolls her eyes, relief still flowing through her, and she gives him half a smile. “I’m a _star_. And what do stars do best?” Her starlight flares brighter for a moment as if to emphasize her point, and Trini raises her eyebrows.

Zack grins at her again and tilts his head, not even wincing when she accidentally steps on his toes. “Well, it’s definitely not the waltz.”

Trini pulls back and punches him solidly in the arm, but before they can devolve into some behavior that would be considered inelegant at best, Kimberly appears over his shoulder, a hand on his back.

“Mind if I cut in?” she asks, eyes glittering in amusement, and Zack bows his head easily.

“You got it, Kimmy.”

Kimberly steps forward with her arms raised, and Trini puts her hand in hers, laying her other hand on her shoulder and ignoring the way Zack is waggling his eyebrows at her behind Kimberly’s back.

“You know how to dance,” Trini blurts out awkwardly, pleasantly surprised at how seamlessly Kimberly takes the lead, not the least because she doesn’t think she can do this without some guidance.

“Yeah,” Kimberly smiles down at her, taking her hand off Trini’s waist for a moment to smooth back the wisps of hair escaping from the braids on the side of her head. “My parents taught me so I could dance with people at celebrations back home.” She rolls her eyes. “Probably thought I’d attract a husband easier that way. Everyone was awful though, I never really wanted to be near them. So the dancing skills didn’t get as much use as they’d hoped.” Her face twists distastefully before she relaxes and meets Trini’s eyes, giving her a small smile and then lifting her arm to twirl her once, Trini laughing in surprise at the unexpected motion.

Kimberly catches her smoothly when she pulls her back from the spin, their faces suddenly much closer than before. “Besides,” she says softly, breath ghosting over Trini’s lips. “I’d much rather dance with you.”

Immediately, Trini blushes bright red, but she tries to hide it, not letting her face split into the wide grin it wants to.

“Me too,” she says quietly, and absently notes the way Kimberly looks in the soft glow of light.

Remembering where they are, she casts a quick glance around, unintentionally breaking her gaze as she scans all the pirates, but nobody gives any reaction to her starting to shine. Billy waves at her with the hand that isn’t controlling the music, and Jason gives her a supportive thumbs up before Zack latches onto his arm and yanks him up, loudly insisting they dance.

Everything is just as it’s always been, and Trini feels her glow getting brighter when she turns back to face Kimberly. They dance together until the music stops, lit by starlight, and Trini doesn’t stop shining until long after the night has faded.

 


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [for those of you who haven’t seen the movie and for clarity’s sake, Trini can’t get near Sal because Rita put a spell on Sal preventing her from seeing, hearing, touching, or feeling the star, even if she was standing right in front of her.]

The next day they arrive at the skyport nearest to Wall, and it’s with a surprising amount of regret that Trini gets ready to leave. The boys stay with them as they wait to disembark, and Trini realizes that she’s going to miss them.

“Here,” Jason says, pressing a long cylindrical container into Kimberly’s hands, “For you guys.” It’s an individual case of lighting, small but still valuable, and they thank him profusely. Seeing how Kimberly is already wearing her quiver, she hands it to Trini and helps her sling the strap across her body and over her shoulder, adjusting it to hang at her back.

“Well, I guess this is it,” Zack says, clapping them both on the shoulder before pulling them into a hug. “Good luck on your travels.”

“Maybe we’ll see each other again one day,” Billy suggests, and Trini gives him a smile as she pulls back.

“I really hope so.”

“Of course we’ll see each other again,” Jason says confidently, helping them both onto the gangplank. “I know it. I can feel it.”

There’s one last round of hugs on the dock, and then the ship has to leave. They wave, watching the ship disappear into the clouds, and Trini turns to see Kimberly staring after them with a strangely remorseful look on her face.

“What’s up?” Trini asks quietly, adjusting the shoulder strap of the lighting case and then poking Kimberly in the side.

“Hm? Oh, nothing, sorry,” Kimberly shakes her head and turns towards her. “It’s just – it was nice, being on the ship. I could get used to that life,” she says wistfully as they start to walk towards the road. “I’d rather do that than stay in Wall until I die, you know? Or maybe not, I mean, what do I know.” She waves her hand around and then links her arm through Trini’s as they step onto the road.

“You don’t want to go back to your normal life in Wall?” Trini glances at her out of the corner of her eye, unsure what she wants the answer to be. However, she does know that a star has no place in the human world, or in a human’s normal life.

Kimberly sighs, guiding Trini along. “I think I’d much rather be going on adventures like this, in Angel Grove.” She gives Trini a small smile. “We could travel with the boys, see the kingdom.”

Trini smiles back, trying to picture it. “Yeah,” she agrees, adjusting her beanie with her free hand, “Yeah, that sounds like fun.”

They move on to lighter topics as they walk, and it’s a couple of hours before they encounter anybody else. Now there’s a carriage approaching from the other side of the road, and Kimberly abruptly pushes Trini to the side, hard enough to send her tumbling into the bushes that border the road.

Not expecting it, Trini’s back hits the ground, leaving her dazed, and then she coughs when Kimberly lands squarely on top of her. Trini groans quietly, cracking open an eye to see Kimberly’s face hovering right above hers, bringing forward the memory of their first meeting. It’s only been a week, but it feels like a lifetime has passed.

“Why,” she croaks, clearing her throat and opening her eyes properly once she gets her breath back.

“I’m sorry, I just – I don’t want to risk anybody seeing you, just in case.”

“And you really had to shove me?” Trini asks in amusement, eyes shining as she meets Kimberly’s gaze, and Kimberly gives her a cocky grin, letting out a quiet giggle.

“Well, I don’t see you complaining about this very comfortable position we find ourselves in once again, do I?”

Trini blushes even as she laughs, and Kimberly brings one hand up to push her hair behind her ear before putting it back on the ground to hold herself up.

Light starts hitting Kimberly’s eyes differently, playing off her jawline, and Trini lets her laughter fade as her eyes search Kimberly’s face. She tries her best to suppress her starlight, but she’s only marginally successful, her heart too light to easily contain.

Humans are so fixated on the idea of immortality, and for the first time Trini thinks she might understand why.

“What about you?” she asks, realizing that Kimberly had never once mentioned a desire for eternal life.

“What about me?”

Trini shifts on the ground, cocking her head and feeling the leaves shift underneath her. “Are you ever… tempted?”

It might be her imagination, but Trini swears that Kimberly is slowly leaning closer.

“Tempted?” she breathes, a faraway look in her eyes, “Tempted by what?”

Trini’s heart jumps into her throat as she momentarily forgets what she’s talking about, but she realizes she needs to know the answer to this.

“Immortality?” she murmurs, turning her head away from Kimberly, and she swears Kimberly looks disappointed for a moment. “Like, if it was just a random star,” she continues quietly, forced lightness in her voice, “Not someone you knew.”

“You – you seriously think I could kill anybody?” Kimberly pulls back, lips twisted wryly and voice incredulous. “Just for – for being themselves?”

Trini immediately feels ridiculous, laughing self-consciously. Of course she wouldn’t murder somebody in cold blood. Trini knows the world is full of cruel people who wouldn’t hesitate for a second at the prospect of eternal life, but Kimberly _definitely_ isn’t one of them. Her starlight seems to shine brighter, and Trini feels herself automatically relaxing more under Kimberly, even in the face of the possible danger that accompanies the open road.

Kimberly continues to talk, her voice hushed in the tiny space they’ve made hidden from the world. “Even – even if I _could_ … immortality? Everlasting life?” She lifts her head and considers something, eyes fixed in the distance. “It sounds… lonely.”

The words strike a chord somewhere deep inside Trini, and she thinks back to her life before falling to Earth. She never would have called it lonely before, surrounded by her sisters, but now… now she isn’t so sure. Spending every night alone and watching over the entire world… none of it compares to even an hour with Kimberly.

“Maybe… maybe if you had somebody to share it with,” Kimberly whispers, something vulnerable shining in her eyes when she meets Trini’s gaze. “Someone – someone you love.”

Trini’s eyes are wide, and time seems to stop before Kimberly coughs and ducks her head, mumbling, “Maybe then it would be different.”

Exhaling, Trini turns her head to the side, suddenly unable to face Kimberly. Kimberly who is in love with somebody else. She feels her glow abruptly fade away, heart dimming painfully as she presses her lips together.

Kimberly looks up and tilts her head to the side, listening for a long moment. “I think the coast is clear now,” she says with her voice back at a normal volume as she pushes herself up, getting to her feet and holding a hand out for Trini.

“Thanks,” Trini whispers, letting her pull her up. They brush themselves off and step back onto the dirt road, adjusting their jackets, and Kimberly pulls a twig out of Trini’s hair. They continue their trek over the hilly ground, the sun shining and providing a much lighter atmosphere than their previous hike through the shaded woods, and Trini decides she’s going to enjoy what little time with Kimberly she has left. The hours pass easily, sun moving across the sky, and it’s so effortless for Trini to get comfortable with just Kimberly around, feeling safe and untouchable.

“Do you know that you sort of… glitter, sometimes?” Kimberly asks curiously, “Like, glow? Is that normal?”

Trini pretends to think about it, feeling unusually playful. “Well, let’s see. What do stars _do_?”

Kimberly puts a finger on her chin and hums thoughtfully. “Oh, I don’t know. Is it… attract trouble?”

Trini scoffs and shoves her away, grinning when she stumbles over some loose rocks and laughs. “Well, I attracted you, if you don’t remember. You literally flew into me and knocked me over. That’s your fault, dude, all on you.”

“Maybe so,” Kimberly says sagely, straightening her jacket and moving back to her side, “I don’t regret it for a second though.”

Touched, Trini looks up at her with shining eyes, glad for the sun being bright enough to obscure her starlight, and Kimberly winks at her. “Then again, you have been kind of annoying.”

Trini gasps, mock offended. “You’re a jerk.”

“Hey, I _crossed the wall_ for you,” Kimberly says, gesturing with her arms dramatically, and Trini furrows her brow.

“So? How hard is it to cross a wall?”

“Seriously? I cross the wall for you and this is the thanks I get? Nobody _crosses_ the wall.”

“So I’m supposed to feel important, is that it?”

“Hell yeah,” Kimberly tells her, grabbing her hand, and Trini finds that she really does.

 

A few hours later, there’s another caravan approaching them on the road, and Kimberly grabs Trini’s hand and yanks her off the path again, this time finding a small bridge to press against and stay out of sight behind. The caravan rattles over them, and Trini cranes her neck to catch a glimpse of the driver.

“Wait, I recognize her,” Trini furrows her brow, “Yeah, Jason knows her! He said they trade sometimes.” It’s definitely the woman called Ditchwater Sal from the market driving the caravan, though Trini still feels the prickling need to draw away from her.

“Jason knows her? You’re sure?” Trini nods. “Okay, so she can’t be that bad, let’s go!” She holds out her hand for Trini and then darts forward. “Wait, wait! Excuse me!” Kimberly calls out as she scrambles up the small incline to the road.

The caravan pulls to a stop, the horse in front whinnying. Ditchwater Sal turns to them and slowly climbs down from her high seat.

“Hi,” Kimberly takes a second to catch her breath, “Sorry to bother you, but I was wondering if me and my – ”

“That’s my flower!” Sal interrupts her angrily, pointing a finger at the small white flower tucked into Kimberly’s front pocket. She lunges forward, seemingly ready to grab it right off of her, but Kimberly takes a step back and draws her sword in one fluid motion, holding it between them with a guarded expression on her face.

“Oh,” Sal draws back, holding her hands to her chest, “Oh, perhaps I was mistaken, I apologize.”

“That’s – that’s fine, it’s obviously valuable to you, so I’ll trade it to you in exchange for what I need. A Babylon candle?”

“And safe passage to the Wall,” Trini interjects, but Sal ignores her.

“A Babylon candle? Oh, no, I don’t deal in black magic,” Sal pulls back and shakes her head demurely, and Trini snorts at how blatant the lie is.

“Oh, okay. Then how about a lift to the Wall?” Kimberly gives her a look before turning back to Ditchwater Sal.

“Ah, well why didn’t you say so in the first place?” Her lips curl up in an off-putting smile that reminds Trini far too much of Rita. “In exchange for that flower, I can offer you passage to the Wall, food and lodging on the way.”

“ _Safe_ passage,” Kimberly stresses, and Sal nods agreeably, putting a hand on her chest.

“I swear that you will arrive at the Wall in exactly the same condition that you’re in now.”

Satisfied, Kimberly nods and sheathes her sword, reaching for the flower. Trini opens her mouth to warn her, but pauses when she realizes she doesn’t know what about. She reaches for one of her daggers instead, stepping closer to Kimberly.

Sal accepts the flower reverently, twirling it between her fingers before lifting her head to smirk at Kimberly. “Do you have any idea what kind of thing it was that you had?”

Kimberly shakes her head haplessly. “Some kind of… lucky charm?”

“Oh, the luckiest,” Sal closes her hand around the flower, shutting her eyes and inhaling as she relaxes her shoulders. “ _Protection_. In fact,” she opens her eyes, and her sneer turns malicious. “That protection is the exact same thing that would have prevented me from doing _this_.”

Trini opens her mouth to yell and unsheathes a dagger, but she isn’t quick enough to stop Sal from jabbing her finger harshly towards Kimberly’s forehead. There’s a quick burst of smoke that swirls into existence, enveloping Kimberly, and Trini lunges forward in panic. She reaches out, but her hand goes right through the quickly disappearing smoke and the empty space where Kimberly’s shoulder should be. Trini’s eyes are wide as Kimberly continues to shrink down, transforming right before her eyes.

“Oh my god, what did you do?!”

Frozen in shock with her dagger still drawn, she gapes at Kimberly who has just been turned into a dormouse. A _dormouse_. Sal hasn’t moved, still smirking, and she crouches down to examine her.

“Oh, I’ll keep my word,” Sal chortles, reaching out and cupping her hands around dormouse Kimberly before standing and moving towards the caravan, “You shall not be harmed.”

Trini charges at her with a dagger drawn, panic and revulsion twisting inside of her at the sight of Kimberly being a dormouse and Sal holding her, but she collides violently with some kind of invisible barrier at the last second, knocking her backwards.

She stumbles and narrows her eyes in confusion as she regains her balance, leaping forward again, but the same thing happens. Her first guess would have been Sal using some kind of defensive magic against her, but the woman is wholly unaware of Trini’s presence, and Trini can’t think of a reason why she would pretend not to see her.

Maybe it’s a magic thing, or maybe it’s a star thing, but Trini can’t get within a foot of the other woman, no matter how hard she tries. She slams her palm against the invisible barrier in frustration, following Sal as she climbs inside the caravan and glaring at her back as the barrier moves with her.

“Am I correct in saying that you can’t see me or hear me at all?”

Sal has absolutely no reaction, leaning down to place Kimberly in a small cage, and Trini throws a dagger at her just to see what will happen. It hits the same barrier and falls uselessly to the ground, and Trini exhales harshly.

“Well, in that case,” Trini crosses her arms and steps into the caravan, glaring at the back of Sal’s head. “I’d like to tell _you_ that you smell like you’ve been living in a sewer for the last seventeen years, you look like the wrong end of a cow…”

She catches sight of mouse-Kimberly’s wide eyes, trembling as she presses herself into the corner of the cage, and the rest of her insults die on the tip of her tongue.

“…And I swear, if I don’t get my Kimberly back, I will make your life a living _hell_.”

Sal is clearly pleased with herself, sniggering as she closes the cage door and brushes off her hands, and Trini tries to punch her again, groaning when her fist is deflected off that same barrier. Sal exits the caravan, the barrier pushing Trini to the side as she passes, and then the door is closed behind her. Trini immediately spins around and hurries to Kimberly, kneeling down in front of her cage.

“Kim, hey Kim, shh, it’s okay,” Trini’s hands flutter helplessly as she tries to soothe her, not liking how badly the little dormouse is shaking. “Kim, if you can understand me, look at me, right now.”

Kimberly lifts her head and Trini’s heart leaps, but then she realizes Kimberly’s eyeing something over her shoulder. She turns and slumps her shoulders in disappointment, because she’s looking at a wheel of cheese that’s hanging on the other side of the cabin.

Trini sighs and goes to rips off a little piece, coming back and sticking it through the bars of the cage. She’d open it to let her out, but Kimberly is so small now that she doesn’t want to risk her trying to run and getting squished.

It’s quiet aside from the creaking of the caravan, and Trini lowers herself tiredly onto the stool next to Kimberly’s cage. She watches her for a long moment, half smiling at the way Kimberly’s nose moves, whiskers twitching, and then takes a deep breath, leaning back and staring at the ceiling. The silence drags on for too long, and right now Trini would give anything to hear some of Kimberly’s inane chatter.

“… Do you remember when I said I didn’t know anything about love?” she begins softly, pulling her beanie off and pushing her hair behind her ear. Her smile is small but fond as her fingers touch the neat braids on the side of her head, reminding her of Kimberly giggling as she insisted she do up Trini’s braids for her that morning and then taking a solid hour to get them right.

“Well, that’s wasn’t – it’s not entirely true. I, I do know… I mean, I’ve _seen_ it, seen centuries of love,” Trini laughs nervously, rubbing at her reddened cheek. “It was the only thing that made it bearable, watching this godforsaken world every day. All the fighting, and the hate, the lying and the _pain_ … It made me want to turn away and never look down again. But to see the way people can love…”

She shakes her head helplessly. “God, this whole world is a disaster, absolutely no denying it. But love… You could search this entire universe, and never find anything as… as…”

Trini bites her lip, eyes flitting around the caravan before hesitantly landing on Kimberly. She wants to tell her about how… how _beautiful_ it is, how beautiful it could be, how humans can shine all on their own when they’re in love. She wants to tell her about how love is uncontrollable, all encompassing, and how she thinks she understands it a little better now, more than ever, because of her.

But she bites her tongue, still unable to express herself any farther.

She thinks back to the last couple of days with Kimberly, to the way her hair looked in the moonlight and the gentle way she would take her hand, the sound of her laugh, and her fierce determination to get her home.

“I might… I think I might love you,” she stammers as she tugs at her collar, heart pounding like she’s just run a marathon.

Knowing how clichéd she’s about to sound but unable to stop herself, Trini blushes and fiddles with her beanie. “My heart… it feels like it doesn’t belong to me anymore, because…” Her breath hitches, and she snaps her mouth shut, swallowing forcefully.

“It’s funny,” she changes track, calming herself by watching Kimberly gnaw at the hunk of cheese, “Everyone wants the heart of a star, but now…”

She crouches down and crosses her arms on the ledge in front of Kimberly’s cage, resting her chin on them. Sticking her fingers through the bars of the cage, she gently touches the top Kimberly’s head. Kimberly doesn’t pull away, and the corner of Trini’s mouth turns up.

“If you wanted it…” she whispers, “It would be yours.”

Dormouse-Kimberly continues to chew, not showing any reaction, and Trini smiles brokenly, slowly retracting her fingers and knowing she’ll never be able to say this properly to Kimberly’s face.

The caravan hitting a bump in the road jars her from her reverie, and she shakes her head, pulling her beanie back on. No use dwelling on this anymore.

The ride in the caravan lasts several hours, and Trini alternates between keeping her face near the cage and talking softly to Kimberly, and screwing around with Ditchwater Sal’s stuff.

She loosens the lids on multiple vials of liquid, and starts grabbing jars at random and stuffing them into different places. The orderly system of bottles lining the wall goes literally out the window as she starts pitching them outside one by one, and she hides things in the back of various cupboards and under the sleeping cot tucked away in the corner. Some of the ingredients hanging along the wall are dropped on the floor, and she manages to loosen the screws on one of the overhead cabinets with the tip of her dagger.

“What do you think, Kim?” she asks over her shoulder, standing with her hands on her hips and surveying her work.

Kimberly lets out a little squeak and then chatters for a moment, and Trini nods in agreement. “Yeah, not enough damage, you’re right.”

It’s a good way to pass the time, and when they finally come to a stop Trini stands and plants herself in front of Kimberly’s cage. Unfortunately, she’s still helpless to stop Sal from coming in and going straight for Kimberly’s cage. The same invisible force sweeps her aside, knocking her into the wall of the caravan, but she can at least take some satisfaction in the way Sal jumps at the sudden noise caused by several jars clattering to the ground.

“Serves you right, you piece of garbage,” she mutters darkly, twirling her dagger around her fingers as she watches Kimberly start to quiver again with a tight chest.

Sal definitely can’t hear her, but Kimberly seems to calm at the sound of her voice, so Trini keeps talking, coming up with more and more creative insults and bringing in some of the different languages she’s learned from observing humanity over the years.

“Here you go, as promised,” Ditchwater Sal trundles outside and kneels down with her hands cupped around Kimberly’s tiny body to lower her onto the cobblestones, and Trini glowers at her back, moving around her to stand on the other side of Kimberly. “The Wall is one mile that way, though the walk might take you a bit longer than usual. The transformation tends to leave the brain a bit scrambled for a while.”

She taps the tiny dormouse on the head, releasing a swirl of smoke, and then Kimberly is there again, whole and human and trying to draw her sword with a furrowed brow as she lists to the side alarmingly.

“You goddamn – ”

Trini lunges forward and catches her around the waist before she can hit the ground, staggering under her weight. Sal only chortles again and bustles away, the caravan disappearing quickly into the crowd.

“Oh, I was so worried,” Trini breathes before she can stop herself, pushing Kimberly’s hair away from her face with one hand so she can look her over. A dopey smile spreads across Kimberly’s face as her unfocused eyes find her.

“Heyy, gorgeous. Where’d you come from?”

“Fell from the sky, remember?” Trini says, mildly amused but mostly concerned.

“Ah, then you’re an angel,” Kimberly says sagely, “That makes sense.” She blinks rapidly and makes a clumsy attempt to get back onto her feet, and Trini doesn’t let go of her. “Where… Trini?” Kimberly slurs, eyes narrowing in confusion, and that at least confirms that she’s still in there somewhere.

“Okay, come on,” Trini grunts, trying to get Kimberly more or less upright, “There’s an inn right over there, we’ll get to Wall tomorrow after you sleep this off.”

They stumble towards the inn, and Trini manages to book them a room with the money Jason had slipped her, miraculously not letting Kimberly fall over in the process. They make their way slowly up the stairs, and Trini struggles to open the door when they reach their room. Trini grunts as Kimberly starts to tilt to the side, but somehow manages to catch her, hauling her up with some sudden burst of strength, which, while unexplainable, is much appreciated. She gets her inside and to the bed, letting her fall face first onto the covers, and Kimberly falls asleep instantly.

Smiling at the sight, Trini locks the door behind them and then moves closer. She manages to get Kimberly’s jacket and boots off before giving up, figuring that it’s more important that she successfully divests Kimberly of her weapons before she accidentally impales herself. Leaving her passed out facedown on the bed, Trini sighs and sets her sword to the side, next to her bow and arrows.

Spotting a bathtub on the other side of the room, separated by a partition, Trini decides she deserves a proper bath this time, and goes over to prepare it. When it’s ready, she slides into the warm water and leans her head back with a sigh.

Tomorrow they’ll make it to Wall, and Kimberly will present her to her friends, and then… and then everything will be over. Trini will be alone again, looking for a way back to the sky.

Trini doesn’t know how long she sits there, but she’s drawn out of her reverie by a soft giggle and a “Well this is a nice surprise to wake up to.”

“Shit!”

She surges forward and twists so her back is facing Kimberly peeking around the partition, face flushing red-hot.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry! I’m not looking, I promise.”

Trini chances a glance at her and sees her back is turned, and she quickly gets out and grabs a towel.

“Okay, you can turn around now,” Trini mutters once she’s fully covered by the towel, and Kimberly looks over her shoulder with an apologetic grin.

Keeping her arms clutched in front of her, Trini uses one hand to smooth her wet hair away from her face, keeping her head turned away self-consciously. She can still see Kimberly’s warm smile out of the corner of her eye, and it’s enough to spark her starlight even as she flushes again.

“…Hey, Trini? Did you – did you really mean everything you said while we were in the caravan?” Kimberly asks delicately, voice shaking with the smallest note of uncertainty.

Trini looks over at her in confusion, trying to think back to what she could be referring to, and then her eyes widen in horror as she remembers the only important thing she’d said. “No,” she breathes, and Kimberly’s small grin is enough confirmation that she’d heard and understood everything during her embarrassingly sappy confession.

“You were… but – but you were a mouse! You were a mouse, you wanted _cheese_! You didn’t – ” She slaps her hands over her mouth and then hides her face, feeling her cheeks heat up.

“…I asked you to give me a sign,” she groans, voice muffled by the hands clapped over her face, and even the tips of her ears are burning red.

“And risk you getting embarrassed?” Kimberly approaches her with an affectionate smile on her face, something soft shining in her eyes, and she reaches out with gentle hands to try and pry Trini’s hands away. “Then you’d stop saying such lovely things!”

When Trini refuses to let her pull her hands away from her face, Kimberly huffs a laugh and sets her hands on her bare shoulders, rubbing comfortingly a few times and then bringing one up to cup the back of her head, pressing a kiss against her forehead. “I’m sorry, I really tried. I could hear your voice, but everything was all weird and I couldn’t quite make myself do what I wanted. So I take it that you really did mean everything you said then?”

Trini unconsciously starts letting her hands fall as Kimberly keeps smiling at her, watching her carefully for a response. She manages a jerky nod of her head in answer to Kimberly’s question, and Kimberly’s face splits into an even wider grin. Her mouth opens and closes a couple of times, her face twisting uncertainly as she tries to decide what to say, and Trini watches her deliberation with wide eyes.

Eventually Kimberly stops and sighs ruefully, putting both hands on Trini’s cheeks and ducking her head to look her in the eye. “I love you,” she says firmly, nothing uncertain about her anymore, and Trini’s starlight blazes.

They stare at each other for a long moment, Trini bringing up one hand to cover Kimberly’s still resting on her cheek, and then she surges forward and kisses her once, pulling back and tentatively waiting for a response before pressing in again. Kimberly kisses back with just as much fervor, and somehow they’re moving backwards towards the bed, though Trini doesn’t know which of them is leading. Kimberly’s hands on her face are gentle, and Trini knows her starlight is shining out of control, brighter than she’s ever felt before.

 

Trini wakes up slowly the next morning, feeling more content and well rested than she can ever remember feeling before. The sheets are cool against her bare skin when she shifts, and she pulls the blanket up higher and sighs.

“You know that’s the first time I’ve ever slept at night,” Trini marvels sleepily. Morning sunlight is streaming through the window, and she watches as it combines with her starlight to play on the opposite wall. There’s no answer, and Trini rolls onto her back to see if Kimberly is still asleep. Her hand hits empty mattress and she furrows her brow.

“Kim?” She sits up and looks around, seeing that Kimberly’s clothes are gone and her weapons are no longer lying on the dresser where she’d left them the night before. “Kim? You here?”

There’s no answer aside from the fluttering of the curtains, and she feels a heavy sense of dread beginning to grow.

She throws off the covers and dresses quickly, sheathing her daggers and hiding her throwing knives in her clothes before shouldering the case of lightning. Doing one last sweep of the room, she pats her pocket to make sure the yellow coin is still there even though she’s begun to suspect that she’ll never be able to lose it, and then hurries out the door and down towards the lobby.

It’s early enough that nobody else is around, and Trini’s footsteps echo through the empty hallway. In the lobby there’s a man half-asleep in a chair, clearly hungover and possibly still drunk, and Trini recognizes him as the clerk from the night before.

“Excuse me, have you seen my friend?” she asks hesitantly, not knowing where else to find an answer.

The man peers at her, taking a moment to respond. “Mm,” he blinks himself awake and rubs a hand across his face. “Yeah, she left absurdly early.”

Trini stops, taken aback. “She left?” she repeats in confusion.

The man nods in confirmation, speaking slowly. “She said to tell you she’s going to Wall, because she’s sorry, but she’s figured out how she wants to spend the rest of her life.”

Trini stares at him as something sick swirls in her stomach, and then a haze seems to descend over her mind. Without knowing how, she finds herself outside, walking robotically towards the Wall, entire body numb and everything muffled like she’s underwater.

Kimberly left her.

The scenery changes from the grey buildings of the town to the green of the woods, and Trini keeps walking. The Wall comes into view, short and nondescript, and it stretches out as far as she can see in either direction.

The world looks different on the other side of the lone gap in the wall, and Trini thinks she can see where the haze of magic crackles and dies, the boundary where it meets the human world.

Just as she’s about to step over, she hears a vaguely familiar jingle and something wraps around her wrist, yanking her backwards violently enough that she falls over. She has her arms crossed protectively in front of her face, and when she opens her eyes she sees the same damned enchanted chain Kimberly had used on her the first time they had met, the one the unicorn had dissolved. Somehow it’s been wrapped around her wrist again, and she turns her head to follow to the end of it.

It’s Rita holding the chain, and Trini jerks away, breath already quickening in fear as she scrambles to her feet. The witch looks significantly older now, hunched over and wrinkled with a sickly yellow tinge to her skin, but she’s still in her green armor, holding her golden staff.

“Well, hello there,” she singsongs, “It seems I found you just in time. If it’s death you want, I would be more than happy to oblige.”

Though the fear has snapped her out of her lethargic stupor from before, the words still come to Trini as if from very far away, and it’s with difficulty that she manages to speak. “Death?”

“Oh yes, you weren’t aware? Oh dear, how tragic that would have been.” Rita gives her a menacing grin, all teeth, and casually starts to pull the chain closer to her, forcing Trini towards her. “If you set foot on human soil, you’ll turn to rock. Then you’d be just useless for everyone, wouldn’t you. Now come along, time to go!” She yanks the chain aggressively, and Trini cries out as she loses her balance and falls again.

Rita’s found a carriage somewhere, black and sharp-edged like her armor. Trini desperately tries to get the chain off of her wrist, but just like last time, nothing she does has any effect.

“Well, I don’t have all day now, get in the carriage so I can go cut out your heart.” Rita hauls Trini forward again, leaving tracks in the dirt as Trini ineffectively digs her heels into the ground. Rita stops pulling when Trini’s standing near the carriage.

She raises an eyebrow expectantly at her, and Trini can feel her pulse pounding in her ears. “No,” she breathes in horror, and then louder, “No!”

“You can ride _in_ the carriage, or you can get dragged behind it.” Rita gives her a wicked smile. “It’s your choice.”

Trini swallows, her hands starting to shake. She knows Rita is serious about that, and she takes a few jerky steps forward, panic crawling along her skin when Rita opens the door and waves her inside.

Thankfully, Rita doesn’t get in behind her, instead closing the door and climbing back up to the driver’s seat, but the chain doesn’t loosen, still keeping her tied as it extends past the crack in the door.

Trini reaches out for the door handle in a last ditch effort, but predictably it’s secured from the outside, probably with magic, and Trini hangs her head. With her other hand she clutches at her yellow coin, drawing as much comfort from it as she can. She squeezes her eyes shut and thinks of Kimberly, and swears she can feel the coin starting to hum as the carriage jerks into motion.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this is the end, friends! Thank you so so much to everybody who read this, I hope you enjoyed it! And I hope I did the two amazing movies that are Power Rangers and Stardust justice :D
> 
> (And again this is like one long action sequence and here's my friendly reminder that I hate writing those.)

The ride takes hours, and by the time the carriage pulls up to a towering old building that only vaguely resembles the castle it once must have been, Trini swears she can feel her coin vibrating against her palm. The rocking motion of the carriage fades as they slow to a halt, and Trini quickly shoves the coin back into her pocket, not wanting Rita to see it.

She can hear the thud of Rita dismounting from the carriage, and then the door is wrenched open. Trini flinches and blinks rapidly at the sudden light, drawing back to get away from the witch. The motion doesn’t bother Rita, who only readjusts her grip on the magic chain and tugs, and she hauls Trini to her feet and out of the carriage.

“Hm,” Rita looks her over, tilting her head unnervingly, and then she reaches out. Trini flinches again, remembering the imprints of Rita’s fingers around her neck, but Rita only pulls out her two daggers, dangling them between her fingers. “Can’t have you keeping these, now, can we?”

She tosses them away, and Trini watches them clatter against the dirt in despair.

“Now, time to go!”

Her hand clamps down on Trini’s forearm, and Trini stiffens. Rita’s eyes bore into hers, and then her lips curl up in the same feral grin from the inn. She wordlessly tightens her fingers until Trini is sure they’re bruising, and then she pointedly pushes up Trini’s sleeve and plucks the throwing knife from where it’s strapped to her forearm. Trini just glares at her as she scoffs and flings it down, embedding it in the dirt at their feet.

Turning on her heel without preamble, Rita starts dragging Trini towards the set of grand doors, leading her along a walkway that seems to be lined with the ugliest rock sculptures Trini’s ever seen, and she eyes them warily. They’re shaped like some kind of strange bulky rock creatures, and Trini starts when she sees them, stumbling along and continuing to yank her arm back, to make it more difficult for Rita if nothing else.

Her feet scuff across the uneven ground, and Trini becomes aware of the press of one of her throwing knives against the small of her back. She twists aggressively, glaring at Rita’s head, but it brings her a small measure of relief that Rita hasn’t found it, nor the one she has tucked in her boot.

Finally reaching the entrance, Rita opens the doors with a wave of her hand, and the resounding boom of them hitting the wall making Trini jump. Inside is a grand hall, bigger than Trini has ever seen, and even in the dim light Trini can make out the high arching ceilings and elegant columns. There’s old stacks of furniture piled up at random intervals, clearly left behind by whoever had abandoned this place before Rita arrived, and Trini suppresses a shiver at the sight. She hopes they abandoned it before Rita had arrived.

Rita pulls on the chain again, marching her inside, and Trini automatically pulls back as she walks, head tilted back to take it all in. There are tall mirrors lining the walls of the long room, along with multiple chandeliers, all covered in years worth of grime and dust. The room stretches on, and at the end there’s a second story balcony, staircases leading up to it on either side. They walk all the way to the end, giving Trini the perfect opportunity to look at everything as she drags her feet, and she shudders at the heavy feeling of death in the air. There are even more rock sculptures in here, and Trini is really starting to question Rita’s decorating taste, of all things.

Rita yanks her up the stairs, and Trini pulls back on her wrist aggressively, more forceful than she ever was when Kimberly was dragging her around the woods.

At the thought of Kimberly, her chest tightens and she feels her lips start to tremble, but she grits her teeth, determined not to fall apart. She has to find a way to get away from Rita first, or else it will literally be the last thing she does.

The container of lightning knocks against her back as she struggles, reminding her of another weapon she has. Unfortunately, Rita is reminded too.

“No, this won’t do,” Rita snickers, ripping the strap in half and catching the container as it falls. She tosses it away apathetically, and Trini watches it roll towards the banister with a despairing look on her face before her expression hardens.

As Rita is turning back to her, Trini reaches back and pulls out her knife, hurling it at Rita’s face. It flies through the air as if in slow motion, and Trini follows its path to see Rita duck to the side to avoid it. It grazes her, cutting a shallow line across her cheek, and Trini falls into a battle stance as Rita turns back to face her, eyes shining with anger.

“Not smart, little star.”

Rita appears in front of her and shoves her towards a long stone table with a self-satisfied look on her face, and Trini is suddenly immobilized by what has to be her magic. It holds her frozen and lifts her onto the tabletop, and no matter how hard Trini tries she can’t break it. Now lying on her back, Rita secures her wrists and then her ankles to the table with thick leather restraints, tying her down with another strap across her waist and letting the silver chain fall to the ground.

“I’ve been waiting for this a long time, haven’t I?” Rita says loudly, turning away from Trini to face the railing and spreading her arms out to the sides in a grand motion. “And now, I finally have the heart of a star within my grasp!”

She seems to be… talking to the rock creatures? Trini furrows her brow but continues struggling desperately against her bonds, still trying to get free while Rita is distracted.

There’s suddenly a grating rumbling sound, and one by one the rock sculptures come to life, stretching out and then turning to face Rita up on the second level, their heavy footsteps thudding against the floor as they come closer. Trini’s eyes widen in alarm as she cranes her neck up to see them, and Rita smirks.

“Aren’t they beautiful?” she observes them with fondness, “My darling putties.”

Trini scrunches up her face at the words, and Rita turns back and approaches her with a feral grin on her face, picking up the same long knife from before as she goes. Trini stills and watches her in fear, feeling the panic like ice in her veins.

There’s suddenly a large explosion that rocks the foundation of the building, and Rita whips her head around. “What was that,” she growls, flicking her hand towards a few of her putties and sending them in the direction of the sound.

They make some kind of roaring mumble and start to lumber towards the door en masse, Rita laughing madly behind them.

Trini falls back against the table, stress and exhaustion catching up with her, but then there’s the distant sound of swords clashing, and Trini’s eyes widen as she turns her head towards the still open doors and strains to see what’s going on. There’s some yelling and what sounds suspiciously like a whoop as boulders start crashing, and then a slim form slips through the door.

The figure has a sword strapped to their waist and a quiver on their back, and even all the way across the giant room Trini knows who it is. Trini would recognize her anywhere.

“Alright Rita, let her go!” Kimberly commands, aiming her loaded bow directly at Rita from across the hall.

“Kim,” Trini breathes in amazement, and she feels her starlight flare up, glowing bright in the dimness of the grand hall as a burst of hope rushes through her.

One of the putties growls and lunges for Kimberly, but she releases the arrow in the general area of its torso and dives away, ducking around it easily.

“How did you get here?” Trini calls out, pulling at her bonds again as her struggling is renewed.

“With our pirate friends! Jason, Billy, and Zack are outside!” Kimberly keeps dodging the clumsy attempts the putties are making to grab her, darting easily around the room and getting closer.

Trini feels like laughing at the fervid look in her eyes, realizing that the explosion must have been Billy blowing something up as a distraction.

“You think it’ll be this easy to win,” Rita growls. She raises both arms and sends a wave of magic outwards, and all the putties seem to grow and come to life as the massive doors slam shut to trap them inside, the sounds resonating through the hall.

Kimberly stills, turning her head to take everything in, and there’s a moment of silence before Rita throws out her arms and yells, “Crush her!”

The putties charge, and Kimberly spins around and nocks another arrow, letting it fly before Trini can blink. In a heartbeat, at least three of the putties have arrows sticking out of them, and there’s a pause where they almost look like they’re staring down at the shafts in bewilderment.

Trini almost has to agree with them. What are some arrows going to do to magical creatures without a pulse?

Rita cackles as Kimberly calmly draws another arrow from her quiver, pacing around carefully to keep the horde of putties in front of her. “You think some sticks are going to stop them?”

Trini cranes her neck desperately, trying to see some indication that Kimberly does actually have a plan, and that’s when she spots the tiny light on the arrowhead of the arrow Kimberly has nocked, blinking red and foreboding.

Whirling around, Kimberly shoots another arrow into the putty approaching her before she stops and turns to tilt her head up and face Rita. Trini watches with bated breath as Kimberly smirks, keeping her arm raised but lowering her bow.

“Boom.”

The putties all explode behind her, shattered bits of rock flying everywhere. Kimberly doesn’t move, her hair rustling from the force of the explosion, and Trini revels in Rita’s outraged shriek.

Kimberly whirls into motion again, gracefully shooting arrow after arrow into the putties and jumping out of the way of the ensuing explosions, and this time Trini does laugh.

In the midst of blowing up putties, Kimberly spins and shoots an arrow up at Rita. Unfortunately, it does no good as Rita smoothly deflect it with her staff, and Trini yelps as she sees it heading straight for her, flinching and squeezing her eyes shut. There’s a dull thump and Trini opens her eyes to see the arrow quivering as it sticks out of the strap securing her hand to the table, and the fact that it doesn’t have an explosive attached to it clues her in to the fact that Kimberly had been aiming for her.

“Foolish girl,” Rita growls, still glaring at Kimberly, “You want to fight me? You’re not worthy!”

“I dunno, I seem to be doing pretty well so far,” Kimberly taunts, keeping Rita’s attention, and Trini reaches out for the arrow with one hand, straining as far as the restraint will allow. She knows her wrists are being rubbed raw at this point, but she ignores the stinging pain and gets her fingers on the arrowhead, wiggling it free.

Furrowing her brow in determination, Trini bites her lip as she manages to get a good grip on it and hurriedly starts to saw through the leather strap holding her wrist down. All she has to do is get one hand free, and then she can open the other restraints on her own.

Out of the corner of her eye she sees Kimberly still fending off putties, and quite successfully at that. She’s out of arrows, but she throws away her bow without hesitation and draws her sword, slashing through the remaining ones that attack her.

Soon enough, the floor is littered with rubble and only Kimberly is left standing, dirt-streaked and out of breath but with a smug smile on her face.

She steps forward defiantly, sword in her hand and fire in her eyes. “Let her go, Rita,” she calls out strongly, raising her sword. “I won’t ask you again.”

“Hmm,” Rita moves to the side and starts slowly stalking down the stairs. “You really do want to challenge me. You’re nothing more than a child!” Kimberly keeps glaring, and Rita shrugs. “No matter. I’ll crush you yet.”

She waves her staff and lifts both her arms, palm up to the ceiling, and the room shakes again before another horde of putties comes swarming in through the doors. Kimberly bites back a curse and spins to face them, sweaty hair sticking to her forehead, and Trini strains towards her.

She finally feels the strap around her wrist give way and exhales in relief, stretching it out before reaching over for her other hand, fingers fumbling to undo the buckle on the restraint. She hastily shoves it away and opens the one over her waist, sitting up to undo her ankles and frantically pushing herself off the table. She creeps for the other staircase to try and get to Kimberly before Rita notices her. It’s an unrealistic hope, given that the space is completely open except for the stone table she had been tied to, but she tries anyways.

“No!” Rita bellows just as Trini reaches the top of the staircase, raising her staff, and Trini stumbles backwards, whipping her head around in desperation. She knows she’s no match for Rita’s magic alone, and then she spots the discarded case of lightning lying abandoned in the corner and gasps, diving for it.

She feels a rush of magic pass over her head as she hits the ground and scrambles to open the case, turning it so the opening faces Rita and scrabbling for the latch. Finally getting her hand on the lid, she aims the container at Rita and pries it open. The lightning shoots out, cracking as it snaps through the air, and it goes flying in every which direction.

The force of it throws Trini backwards and she hits the banister, instinctively recovering the lighting case and trying to right herself. Rita is still off-balance, and Trini scrambles to her feet and braces herself properly, this time ready when the lightning bursts out of the container. She hits Rita squarely in the chest, the bolt of lightning launching her backwards, and her lips curled up in a vindictive smirk when the witch hits the wall.

The last of the lightning crackles out, and Trini throws the empty container to the side as she runs down the stairs towards Kimberly, who is dispatching of the last putty.

“Not so fast,” Rita points her staff at her, and without thinking Trini reaches down and pulls her last knife out of her boot, only taking a second to aim before whipping it at her, and her steps don’t falter until she slides to a stop next to Kimberly. The knife hits the glowing green center of Rita’s staff, and Rita flinches and draws it back, examining it furiously.

“You’ll regret that, little star,” Rita bites out, lips curled back in a snarl, and Trini lifts her chin up in defiance, breathing heavily.

Without taking her eyes off of Rita, Kimberly reaches back to pull something out from under the back of her jacket. “Here,” she passes Trini her daggers, her hand lingering as she touches Trini’s, “Found these outside.”

Trini blinks in amazement and takes them from her with a grateful sound, flipping them around and relieved to have their familiar weight in her hands.

“So any bright ideas?” Kimberly calls over her shoulder, slowly backing away with her sword held in front of her.

Trini presses her lips together and shakes her head, knocking her arm against Kimberly’s. They have no chance against Rita’s magic like this, and Trini shudders, adjusting her grip on the daggers. She’s strangely calm given the circumstances, but knows with an unerring clarity that unless they figure something out, they’re going to die slow and painful deaths.

She blows out a breath and quickly runs her eyes over Kimberly, taking stock of her injuries. There’s a bloody scrape along her jaw, as well as some bruising high on her cheekbone, and the way she’s standing tells Trini that she’s hurt her leg. Her jacket is dust covered and torn at the elbow, but when she sees Trini staring at her out of the corner of her eye, she gives her a lopsided grin and adjusts her grip on her sword, whispering, “Hi.”

Not knowing what else to do, Trini blinks at her and then grits her teeth, bracing herself and waiting for Rita’s next attack. She feels Kimberly do the same, shifting on her feet, and Trini readies for a fight.

However, much to their surprise, Rita only stares at them for a long moment before dropping her arm and letting her knife clatter to the ground. She swings her staff in a wide arc, and Trini starts when the doors behind them slam wide open again, the breeze disrupting the dust and kicking up a hazy barrier in the air.

“Just go!” Rita spits out, hanging her head as a strangled sob echoes through the large hall. Kimberly falters, giving Trini a confused look, and after a beat Trini shrugs hesitantly in response. “You’ve destroyed my beautiful creatures. How am I supposed to go on without them? My putties have been with me for _centuries_.”

Trini eyes her warily, not trusting her in the slightest and not lowering her daggers.

“What use is everlasting life? I’d be… all alone…” Rita shakes her head, not looking up and sounding so devastated that it’s completely disconcerting, and Trini blinks again. “Just go!”

They start to carefully step backwards, half-turning to see where they’re going, and when Rita doesn’t do anything else they keep going until their pace gradually evolves into a run. They sprint towards the door, freedom just beyond their fingertips, and Trini almost dares to let herself hope.

However, they only make it halfway down the hall before the first mirrors shatter, showering bits of glass down on them from either side. The doors slam shut, and they both reel back, screaming as the glass comes flying towards them. They stumble backwards, out of the way of the barrage of glass, but then the next set of mirrors shatters as well, and Kimberly throws herself over Trini to shield her with her own body. Her sword clatters to the floor, and Trini squeezes her eyes shut and grips the front of Kimberly’s jacket, following her lead when she urges her to move.

Another set explode, pushing them back towards Rita, and they run, ducking and covering their heads. Rita’s sobs have turned into loud cackling, and Trini catches a glimpse of her bending down to pick up the knife again. The last set of mirrors shatters and Trini hides her face in Kimberly’s neck again, waiting with bated breath as the shards of glass stop flying around before cautiously standing.

“I do have to thank you, human,” Rita taunts as she slowly descends down the grand staircase, “Really, this would never have happened if you hadn’t shown up, so, thank you.”

“For what?” Kimberly says guardedly, and Trini almost groans, hand tightening around her arm.

“Kim!” she hisses, “Don’t engage the homicidal evil lady threatening to murder us in conversation!”

Rita cackles, tossing her head and continuing her approach. “You healed her broken heart,” she simpered, fluttering her eyelashes exaggeratedly.

The words cause a flash of _something_ to hit Trini, and she straightens with a gasp, eyes widening. Brightening immediately, she sheathes her daggers and grabs Kimberly’s other arm, pulling her around to face her.

“Hold me tight, and close your eyes,” she says excitedly, trying to keep her voice quiet.

“Trini – ” Kimberly tries, looking over shoulder at Rita. She’s still sauntering forward, evidently in no hurry since she’s convinced that there’s no out for them, and Kimberly looks back desperately.

Trini shakes her head and gives her a secretive smile. Her eyes are shining triumphantly as she takes a moment to push a stray lock of hair out of Kimberly’s face and behind her ear, and finds that she’s unafraid.

“What?” Kimberly says frantically, clearly not understanding, and Trini reaches out to put her hands on her arms. Her body is tensed like she’s preparing to run, and the fact that she thinks Trini has lost her mind is clearly written across her face.

“Hey, hey,” Trini soothes, pulling her closer to make Kimberly focus only on her.

“Trini, we – ”

“Kim,” Trini puts both hands on Kimberly’s cheeks, keeping her steady and holding her gaze. “Do you trust me?”

There’s a frantic beat before Kimberly nods, and Trini nods with her, taking a calming breath. “Okay. Then I just have one question.” Glass crackles beneath their feet as they shift, and Trini tilts her to the side and half smiles as she keeps watching Kimberly, her eyes softening.

“What do stars do best?”

Kimberly only gives her a desperate look of incomprehension, shaking her head, and Trini wraps her arms around her. She takes another deep breath and slides one hand into Kimberly’s hair, running her fingers through it. Behind Kimberly’s back, Rita is still approaching, her knife in one hand, but Trini stares her down defiantly, no longer afraid. Kimberly is warm in her arms, and Trini has finally realized what else Kimberly brought with her when she came charging in to rescue her.

_What do stars do best?_

Turning her head to get one last look at Rita, old and decrepit and still coming towards them with her staff raised, Trini smiles and goes up on her tiptoes to put her lips right next to Kimberly’s ear.

“ _Shine_.”

Then she closes her eyes and lets herself _feel_.

She thinks about the last week, thinks of crashing to the ground and staggering through the woods and buildings alight with green fire. She thinks of Billy and Zack and Jason, of flying ships that catch lightning and magic flowers that give protection and the unicorn that had saved her.

She thinks of _Kimberly_ , of Kimberly dancing in the moonlight and Kimberly standing tall with her bow drawn. She thinks of Kimberly holding her hand, Kimberly laughing with the wind whipping through her hair, and Kimberly dangling from the rigging of the pirate ship, face split into the widest grin as she swings free.

She thinks of last night, of Kimberly pressing kisses into her skin and muttering _I love you_ into her hair and easing her down onto the bed gently, so gently.

She thinks of Kimberly right now, face pressed into her hair and arms wrapped tight around her and trusting her even though she has no idea what’s going on other than she came here to protect her. She came back to save her.

Her starlight bursts out of her, grows and grows and _shines_ , more brightly than Trini has ever seen. Only when her vision goes white as she’s blinded by her own light and she can’t see Rita anymore does she close her eyes, turning her face into Kimberly’s neck and hiding her smile, tightening her arms around her.

She can feel the light bursting out of her, filling her chest and making her feel like she could take on a thousand armies, do the impossible. Light up the whole sky, for as long as she needs.

Eventually, some of the light starts to fade. Trini slowly opens her eyes, and she’s almost laughing when they finally let go of each other, unable to wipe the elation off her face. The starlight is still shining inside of her, lighting her up, and she bounces on her toes as she beams.

Kimberly pulls back with an astonished look on her face, patting first herself down and then Trini, reassuring herself that they’re both unharmed.

“What – Trini, what – ”

Trini shushes her and runs her hand soothingly down her arm, ending with her hand wrapped around her wrist.

“It’s okay,” she reassures her confidently, “Everything’s gonna be okay now.”

They both turn to where Rita had been standing only to find her staff lying abandoned on the ground next to a vaporized pile of ash, and Kimberly gapes, an amazed grin spreading across her face. She laughs and sweeps Trini up into a hug, lifting her up and swinging her around before setting her on her feet again.

“Why didn’t you do that earlier?”

Trini shakes her head, still beaming. “I couldn’t have done that without you,” she shrugs and looks up at her in wonder, not trying to filter the honesty. “No star can shine with a broken heart.”

At that Kimberly furrows her brow. “A broken – Trini, you didn’t think…?”

Trini quiets, gaze dropping to the floor. “I – I thought I’d lost you,” she chokes out a watery laugh, “I thought you left me.” Kimberly brings her hands up to cup her jaw, stroking her thumb across her cheek, and Trini leans into the touch, smiling up at her. “But you came back.”

“Of course I did,” Kimberly’s eyes are soft as she ducks her head down to meet her gaze, “I love you!”

Trini laughs freely and wraps her arms around Kimberly again, pressing her face into her hair and feeling her starlight glow. They stay like that, holding each other, until eventually Kimberly sighs and reluctantly pulls away, running her hand through Trini’s hair to smooth it down.

“We better get outside and check on the guys.”

“Oh, yeah,” Trini nods vigorously, casting one last glance around the ruined hall, “I am so done with this place.” Tangling their fingers together, Trini makes it three steps before realizing how sore she is. Kimberly groans at the same time, evidently feeling the effects of the fight, and she huffs a laugh, falling into her side.

“Wait, hold up,” Kimberly takes a few steps back and kneels down, retrieving her sword and then picking through the shards of glass covering the floor with careful fingers. “I think you dropped your…” She furrows her brow and stands, and Trini can see that she’s holding her yellow coin in her hand.

“Oh, thanks,” Trini says, not having noticed that she’d dropped it. She moves to take it back, but the look on Kimberly’s face stops her. “Kim?”

“Trini…” Kimberly says slowly, staring at the coin in her hand. She doesn’t say anything else, and Trini approaches tentatively.

“Kim? What is it?”

In answer, Kimberly holds up Trini’s coin and sticks her other hand into her pocket, and Trini’s eyes widen when she pulls out another coin, identical except for the fact that the center is pink instead of yellow.

“This is what hit me in the head, the day I came looking for you,” she says haltingly, “Came out of nowhere.”

“What?” Trini says disbelievingly, “That – the yellow one is what knocked me out of the sky.”

Kimberly only gapes at her for a moment before looking back at the coins. “Okay, something weird is going on.”

Trini nods in agreement, taking a step closer.

“Maybe we can ask the guys,” Kimberly murmurs as she stares at the coins with a furrowed brow, “They travel all over the place, we can ask them to poke around, see what turns up?”

“Yeah,” Trini says, suddenly exhausted even though her light doesn’t recede, “Yeah, that’s a good idea.” She moves to Kimberly’s side and slips an arm around her waist, dropping her head on Kimberly’s shoulder. She lets her eyes fall shut, nudging her way under Kimberly’s chin, and she feels her huff a laugh. Kimberly throws her arm around Trini’s shoulders and lets her head fall back dramatically.

“Alright, we should get going. And hey, you never know. Maybe this means we’re destined for greatness.”

Trini snorts, tired enough that it seems funnier than it actually is, and that’s enough to set Kimberly off. Together they stumble their way to the door, giggling and tripping over each other, ready to leave this whole horrid experience in the past.

 

 

Behind them, still inside the destroyed hall where Rita’s staff lies abandoned amongst the shattered glass and rubble, a strange humming slowly starts to fill the room. A flash of green catches the light in the middle of the staff, lit by the feeble sunlight that manages to make it inside through the cracks in the windows, and slowly the whole staff starts to shake.

The green pulses brightly, the top of the staff rising into the air, and then suddenly a piece breaks free. The staff falls back to the ground lifelessly as the round green light rises into the air, and the coin hovers for a long moment before slowly starting to glow brighter, a gentle green light shining through the hall. It rises higher into the air as the humming gets louder, and then without warning it takes off like a shot, soaring up towards a musty old skylight and crashing right through it.

Once it escapes the old building, it shoots off towards the horizon, soaring towards the sun that has just barely begun to set.

 

 

Trini and Kimberly don’t notice.

 

 

It takes both of them to push the door open enough to slip through, moving it slowly and taking a deep breath when they finally step out into the sunlight, breathing in the fresh air. They limp outside with their arms around each other to find the guys in a similar situation, battered but none the worse for wear.

“Hi,” Trini breathes, relieved, and they each step up to give her a gentle hug. The sun is low in the sky, and Trini has never been so grateful to see it before. “Hey, thanks guys, I don’t know what… I don’t know what to say,” Trini says shakily, suddenly hit by a wave of disbelief that these people had come back for her, had all risked their lives to save her.

Kimberly gives her a firm sideways hug and a squinty-eyed look as if she knows what she’s thinking, and Trini quickly wipes at her eyes. “Ah, how’d you get here? What about the ship?”

“We left Tommy in charge, she’ll make sure nothing happens,” Jason tells her, slinging his arm around Billy’s shoulders.

“Tommy?”

“Oh you guys haven’t met her yet, but you will.” He nods sagely and pats her on the back, moving to hug Kimberly.

Trini settles back on her heels, laughing when Zack sweeps her up in another full body hug, and Kimberly squeezes her arm once before letting go.

“Hey, have you guys ever seen anything like these before?” Kimberly holds up the two coins, pink and yellow side by side, but when Trini turns to them their reactions are not what she expected.

Billy furrows his brow and stares, Jason pales, and Zack is gaping at them like they’ve both grown extra heads.

“…What?” Kimberly asks, sharing a confused look with Trini before turning back.

Trini blinks, unconsciously drifting back towards Kimberly. “Guys? What – what’s going on?”

The guys glance at each other, and then as one start yelling over themselves.

“What the _shit_ is going on – ”

“ – exactly the same, oh my _god_ – ”

“ – unbelievable! All five of us – ”

“You don’t really think – ”

“I mean, it has to be – ”

“Shut up!” Trini finally yells, holding up a hand as she leans into Kimberly, “All of you, shut the hell up. What do you guys know about these things?”

“Right, you don’t know,” Billy nods, continuing to bob his head as he pats around the front of his jacket and pulls something out of one of his many pockets. “How would you know? We haven’t told you.”

He sticks his hand out, holding something in his palm, and Trini stares.

It’s a blue coin, just like their yellow and pink ones.

Her mouth is hanging open, and she looks up again at the others, wondering if this is some kind of joke. This time Zack shrugs at her and reaches for a pocket on the side of his pant leg, rooting around and coming up with the same thing.

His coin is black, and Trini doesn’t think her eyes can get any wider.

As one, Trini and Kimberly turn to Jason, hardly believing what they now know he has. He slowly takes something out of his jacket, and after looking around slowly uncurls his fist to show his coin.

It’s red.

They all stare, and Trini doesn’t know what to do.

“Okay,” it’s Zack who breaks the stunned silence they’ve fallen into, “So now what?”

“How did you – where did you guys get these?”

Jason shrugs helplessly. “I just found it one day. Came out of nowhere.” The other two murmur their assent, and Trini looks at Kimberly blankly, reaching out to take her own coin back. She examines it again, not finding anything extraordinary, and then holds it out to compare it to the other four coins. The others follow her lead and stick their coins out so they’re holding them in a loose circle, and they catch the slanting beams of sunlight shining down.

An image suddenly blooms beneath them, sunlight beaming through the clear colored centers of the coins and bending the light, and some sort of insignia appears on the ground.

Kimberly gasps, drawing her hand back, and the image immediately disappears, the light dissolving into basic splotches of color.

“Kim, wait, put your coin back,” Trini says, tugging on her elbow. She does, and the same image reappears almost immediately when Kimberly sticks her coin into their circle with a shaking hand.

“That’s the royal seal of Angel Grove,” Billy says excitedly, eyes shining, and they all stare at it with wonder. Something about the image seems incredibly familiar to Trini, and she smoothes her thumb over the surface of her coin, causing the image to flicker for a second.

“I guess we’re headed to the castle then,” Zack breaks their circle after a drawn out silence, flicking his coin up into the air and catching it. “Maybe they’ll have some answers there.”

“I’ve never been to the central part of Angel Grove before!” Billy bounces once, “The heart of the kingdom!”

Jason claps him on the shoulder. “Looks like you’re getting your chance now, buddy.”

Trini glances up at Kimberly with her lips parted in amazement and finds her eyes sparkling, clearly just as excited at the prospect.

“Is it a real royal castle?” she whispers in delight, and Trini nods.

“Yeah,” she grins, glancing back down at her coin, “Biggest you’ve ever seen.”

Kimberly smiles widely, swinging their linked hands. “This is so much cooler than everything back home, I’m so excited!”

She trips on a loose rock, and Trini steadies her with a laugh. Kimberly gives her a sheepish smile in thanks, leaning down to kiss her quickly, and Trini flushes when she hears the guys cheering them on. They break apart, but Trini doesn’t bother pulling away, putting her coin back in her pocket and tilting her head up to brush a feather light kiss against the scraped skin of Kimberly’s jaw.

“We should head out,” Jason says, holding up a hand to shade his eyes as he looks at the sun, “It’s a long way to the castle.”

“Come on, you can ride with me,” Kimberly tugs Trini along towards four horses, tethered a short distance away. Stopping and smoothly mounting one of them, Kimberly takes a hold of the reins and holds her other hand down for Trini, pulling her on behind her. Trini wraps her arms securely around her waist and smiles, leaning forward to hook her chin over her shoulder.

“So another adventure, huh?”

Kimberly’s eyes glint daringly, and she twists sideways in the saddle to press a firm kiss to Trini’s cheek. “You complaining?”

“Not at all, princess,” Trini says as they wait for the guys to mount their own horses. They spur them into motion, Jason leading the way, and Trini smiles, hugging herself closer to Kimberly. “Not at all.”

 

 

Though Trini can’t see it, the stars above her have finally settled, beaming down at her with pride. They know she won’t be returning to the sky anytime soon, because she’s found a new home for herself, on Earth and with Kimberly, and they know it’s going to last a very, very long time. Their very own happily ever after.

For no person can live forever, except for one who possesses the heart of a star.

(And Trini had given hers to Kimberly completely.)

 


End file.
